A Moment in Light
by Doctojuji
Summary: After the war against Kronos and the excitement of newly discovered demi-gods attending Camp Half Blood a curious girl arrives at a particularly convenient time. Nakia Bitar is unlike most demi-gods, considering her father is the beginning of the Gods themselves, Chronus, Father of Time. And yet, the heavy darkness on the camp blinds even Nakia to what the future holds. (F Slash)
1. The Beginning

The tree was the last thing I remembered. That lone pine sitting comfortably at the crest of the hill, a beacon to all who dreamed of what existed on the opposite side. I knew the secret that the hill hid, I knew of Camp Half Blood, but had never seen it at any point in time. It was a frustrating limitation of my demi-god powers. Being the daughter of the God of Time I had the ability to dive into the past and present in my subconscious but it seemed like the only images I could see were those of events based on choice. They were not inevitable. They could be altered. My arrival to Camp Half Blood was one of these inevitable moments that I'd spent ten years of my life preparing for.

My life…had been somewhat of an unfortunate one, with the majority of it spent completely alone. The only friends I had were those that had died generations before, masters of fighting styles that I learned my skills from, and my mother. It was a sad life, I knew that, but one I continued to live for what lay in the unknown.

Being a seventeen-year-old girl I believed I had matured quickly with centuries of knowledge but…my social skills resembled that of a ten-year-old. But for good reason. During the weeks that passed 9/11 and due to my Egyptian heritage, ill-informed New Yorkers belittled my mother and me. They did everything they could to some how fix the hurt that they felt for fallen family members by lashing out a two innocents simply wishing to live their lives. My mother had been fired from work and our apartment was torched, my mother getting caught in the flames. How I, the four-year-old, was even able to escape the mass of smoke and flames was still unknown.

But my appearance certainly could be considered exotic and matched the definition of an Arabic woman. There was my soft and symmetric features, trim and fit body, dark brown, wavy, thick, and long hair but rather than the dark brown eyes mine were a startling grey that showed centuries in the sharp pupils. I looked much like an odd traveler climbing that hill, beige and linen pants hanging on my long legs and a well-worn orange hoodie over my torso, the fabric tight and maybe too small as it exposed the every so often glint of olive-skinned midriff. Hole-filled sneakers hugged my feet and I had the mass of hair on my head twisted into a messy bun, a backpack of a few necessities slung over my shoulder.

I pulled myself to the top of the hill, a wave of relief pouring over me as I looked up on the very obvious grounds of a camp. From a distance it was seemingly normal, but as one came closer they could see the walls of lava with campers trying to climb their ways up it, the outdoor theatres, and the hordes of galloping satyrs. But as I took my first few steps down the hill I found the entire camp's eyes turning on me. The staring wasn't unnatural, I'd spent my whole life dealing with the pre-judgment of people but I had to admit that I had had some sort of hope that they might've been different. Weren't they also demi-gods? Shouldn't they be more understanding? I attempted to ignore it, striving across the grounds and up the stairs to the large white house that the camp seemed to be centered around. I'd seen the house in my dreams - or at least the door to the house - and thus made it my first destination in this new world. Of course, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect in a place where everyone was "just like me". So much of my life had been spent alone with a single goal to strive for...but now here I was and admittedly I was nervous that I wouldn't know what to do with myself afterwards.

Gently I gave a few knocks - manners being a massive part of the Catholic orphanage I had grown up in - and then a few more only to hear a heated conversation from the back of the porch that surrounded the place. Curiously, I left the doorstep and made my way around, stopping at the sight of a table of cards, a large fat man on one side, a older-looking gentleman in a wheelchair on another, a young man next to him, and a blonde girl pacing along the length of the stairs that lead to a crystal clear lake.

"Something has to be up, there is a _significant_ decrease in the number of campers arriving or even returning!" She exclaimed, tossing her arms up in the air as the fat man took a sip from his drink before taking his turn in the table top game.

"Annabeth, it's been a year since Kronos attacked. We shouldn't be having the same masses as we did. It's been long enough." The young man remarked as the gentleman in the wheelchair nodded.

"And the dangers that demi-gods used to face outside of Camp Half Blood have practically diminished. Even if they are being claimed they do not have to come here. They never have," the man in the wheelchair, explained, seeming to annoy the girl known as Annabeth.

"I know that," she stated, turning to the one empty seat at the table, pressing her hands down on the surface and leaning forward. "But something just doesn't feel right. Like everything has gone cold from Olympus. My mother's even been to busy for a call as of recent. Come on, Percy, you were just trying to tell me the same thing last week!" Her eyes then looked up and my breath caught at the icy grey eyes of the girl. They were inquisitive, sensing more details than most. "Hi..." she breathed as I quickly averted my gaze downwards, bowing low.

The table turned to expose the other party members more. The fat man was very clearly Dionysus, sipping slowly on a can of pop. The man in the wheelchair was surprisingly fit on his upper half as well as observant, examining me with an experienced gaze. The young man had sea foam green eyes with a mess of dark brown hair. Both he and Annabeth wore the same CHB orange t-shirts. "I apologize for interrupting," I began, my voice smooth and eloquent as I slowly straightened myself. "I was lead here by Chronus-" The young man shot out of his seat, tugging a pen from his pocket and uncapping it as it extended into a bronze blade.

"Kronos is dead, you have nerve showing yourself so openly to us!" I stood there, giving a confused look but no fear rested in my eyes. I had no desire to fight the boy and thus had no reason to truly acknowledge his threat.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted, running around the table and gently pushing down his blade. "She said Chronus, not Kronos. Besides, if she was a danger to the camp she wouldn't have been able to make it this far." Percy blinked as I gave another respectful bow of my head, watching Percy recap his pen. "No need to apologize," Annabeth continued, smiling as I gave a small and unexpected smile in return.

"You said Chronus sent you?" The man in the wheelchair questioned as I nodded.

"In a manner of speaking. My father came to me when I was just a child, awakening my gifts and informing me of the importance of coming here when the time was right."

"A daughter of...Chronus? But isn't he..." Percy trailed off as Annabeth's jaw fell.

"The creator of the gods," Annabeth finished.

"In some literature, yes," I acknowledged, "but more of symbolizes the passage of time. He does not tend to involve himself in the lives of humans but instead allows the world to proceed at it chooses. But he seems to believe that there is an event that must be stopped."

"Being?" The man in the wheelchair pulled himself up, exposing his bottom half to be a centaur, white and speckled with grey. I blinked at him, my mind shuffling through my teachings before pairing his image with that of Chiron, the teacher of heroes. But as my mind then started to sort through his question I lowered my gaze, like a scolded child.

"I...do not know. He would not tell me and I cannot see a fixed point in time."

"What do you mean you cannot _see_ a fixed point in time?" Annabeth questioned as I sighed, I was almost shameful of the limits of my abilities.

"Time is made up of a jumble of points. 90% of them are based off of choices, such as deciding to go buy a cup of coffee and instead getting mugged versus deciding not to buy a cup of coffee and coming home safely. But 10% of these choices are fixed, such as death. The way you die may be different but in the end you will die, _that_ cannot be altered. What I am able to see is the 90% of time, I cannot change it, cannot affect it in any way, but I can watch it, as if looking back on a memory." I explained, seeming to entrance Annabeth and Percy as Chiron nodded along, like he was grading her performance. I hadn't really explained my powers to anyone before. In fact, the majority of my speech was simply repeating what my father had said to me. I swallowed, eyes shifting away from the group yet again, "I would hope I could have somewhere to lay my things for this evening, as well as a quiet area to contact my father."

"I will make some arrangements for you...um..." Chiron trailed off as he realized my name had never been mentioned

"Nakia Alexandra Bitar."

"Egyptian," Annabeth remarked without a beat in the conversation. "How interesting." I found the response surprising considering most people seemed to sneer at the mention of my name. They all sounded Arabic and thus were quick to place me in the troubled Middle East rather than where I actually was from. And yet here Annabeth was with pure interest in her eyes as she stepped forward dragging Percy with her. "We would love to give you a tour while they arrange where you'll be sleeping. I hate to say but even with all of the new cabins we added, Chronus was not one of them." Annabeth waved at me over her shoulder as I quickly followed, Percy settling himself furthest from me as we walked, the air uncomfortable between us just by the simple misunderstanding previously.

COMMENTS: Well here we go! I haven't finished the cover art but I hit 100 pages of writing between this story and it's sequel so I figured I'd begin posting. Plan on one chapter every other day at at least 1000 words per chapter. Enjoy!


	2. A Friendly Back and Forth

"Don't mind the staring," she noted, seeming to sense my uneasiness, "everyone stares at the new kid especially with it being weeks since we got a new camper." I gave a nervous nod as we continued, passing by diversely decorated cabins with kids poking their heads out of doors and windows.

"So where are you from?" Percy asked, the small talk being something new to me.

"Manhattan," the name of the town was spoken with a heavy accent, "but the sisters were merciless on ensuring we spoke English 'correctly.'" I remarked, referring to the thick accent a lot of New Yorkers were known for.

"Sisters?"

"I grew up in St. Patrick's orphanage after my mother was killed in an apartment fire."

"Wait..." Percy stopped walking, "you're _that_ girl? I remember my mother crying over a fire that killed one of her friends. They say only one person survived...how?"

"I...I don't know," I bowed my head feeling guilty at the question. I felt like I should know all the answered but in truth I really didn't know much of anything.

"Oh...sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"You are forgiven," I responded, surprising Percy as he gave a bit of a scoff. I raised my brow, looking confused but it was clear the conversation had shifted as we approached the arena.

"Here is where we spar both for training and for fun," Annabeth explained as I looked around the open space, stopping short of the sand. Respectfully, I slid my feet from the sneakers, tucking the balled up socks into one before stepping onto the grounds. "I don't know if I would recommend taking your shoes off..." Annabeth remarked as I pulled my sweatshirt off from over my head.

"It is respectful in a place of honor," I assured as heads turned. Out of habit, I wore nothing more than a grey sports bra under her sweatshirt, exposing my trim and toned torso. "Are we not here to spar?" Percy snorted, his cheeks red as Annabeth gave him an annoyed smack on the back of his head.

"Nakia, we don't have to. I was simply showing you where it was. Besides you're not...protected, I wouldn't want to worry about hurting you." At that I removed my pocket watch from the front of my backpack, settling the sack by my shoes before pressing the knob at the top till it gave a firm click. Instantly the watch melted into a bronze rod a blade curving out menacingly from the top.

"I assure you I will not be hurt." Percy then shrugged, pulling out his pen as I adjusted my scythe, the rod resting tight against my left arm with the blade pointed to the ground. "Not you, Annabeth," I explained as Percy scowled and Annabeth turn to him, whispering something before giving him a small peck on the lips. The action formed an unusual burning sensation in my stomach as I set my stature, the pair already creating a small crowd around us. Annabeth pulled her dagger from her hip and her Yankees cap from her back pocket.

"I will say," Annabeth remarked, turning the handle in her right hand so the blade stuck out to the right, "People tend to find it difficult to hit me." At that she placed the baseball cap on her head, her image immediately disappearing. But I made no hint that I was worried as I closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Annabeth swung her hand down, aiming the hilt at my chest as the world slowed to a crawl around me. I stared at the air, watching it contort around Annabeth's image before shifting, spinning around her attack and grabbing her hat, plucking it from her head. Annabeth stumbled forward, startled, as the campers started to climb into the seats for the show. In their eyes they had seen me move at unimaginable speeds, there was no way I could've see that coming even with our enhanced reaction times.

Annabeth rolled her shoulders, glancing at her discarded hat with an annoyed huff. "Very well," she settled herself as I smiled genuinely, glad to see the girl taking this moment seriously as it was my turn. I slid the scythe upward, scattering sand in Annabeth's direction before kicking my body into the air, spinning, and slamming my heel down where a disoriented Annabeth should have been. But the daughter of Athena had prepared for this and had rolled to the side just in time, swooping her leg behind me. I jumped, flipping backwards over her leg as Annabeth swung with her blade, the metal scrapping against the metal on Nakia's staff. We deflected each other, pushing and back stepping till I matched Annabeth's rhythm and acknowledge her pattern. I slid my scythe around her, knocking out Annabeth's legs as the girl grabbed instinctively at my bra, tugging me downwards. Fortunately, catching myself wasn't that difficult with my knees resting on either side of Annabeth, hands on both sides of her head, panting.

The blonde coughed, the air knocked out of her lungs as I gave a hard laugh, "You fight how I expected, and how I didn't expect. Thank you," my scythe had returned to its pocket watch shape, having left my hand during the fall. Annabeth finally caught her breath looking up with a smirk.

"I will say I'm not used to finding myself on my back."

"I do believe that's what she said," I was surprised I had even thought to make the joke, but either way we began to laugh only for the half full stadium to suddenly erupt in cheers. Both of us turned and I felt an unfamiliar blush on my cheeks, glancing at Annabeth out of the corner of her eye to see the same. Quickly I hopped up, offering a hand to my opponent with a smile as Annabeth took it.

Suddenly there was a snap and I found it impossible to let go as my mind surged through Annabeth's past and future, as if traveling in time as a fly on the wall. I didn't see everything but saw her father, her mother, Olympus, Percy (and several _extremely_ personal moments with him). It zipped around her trials and her ups and downs before I started to notice myself in Annabeth's life, laughing, talking, and training together. Suddenly as if a dark cloud appeared, though, I couldn't see, only hear the fighting the screaming...the dying. The image faded to me holding Annabeth in my arms, covered in her blood and weeping.

I slammed back into my body, the force propelling me a few feet away from Annabeth and knocking me unconscious, tears streaking my face.


	3. A Little Tumble Back in Time

I found myself sitting on a stonewall looking out over the Egyptian desert. It was familiar and homely, my hair drifting freely in the wind. But part of me was on edge, as if stepping past this wall was forbidden. "I always loved how the air smelled here," a soft voice remarked, startling me as I turned to look upon my father. He looked middle aged, several greys in his black hair and small beard around his jaw. "Though I could never stay here long, sadly."

"Is that why you dragged my mother away from here?" There was spite in my voice, always spite. I couldn't help it. There was anger in my soul towards the man, due to his constant interfering in my life and my mother's. If he hadn't done what he'd done...she would never have died.

"Nakia," he remarked, running his soft hand over my hair as I flinched at the touch, "I did not drag her away from here. I gave her a choice and she chose to be free."

"And now she's dead."

"Nakia." His hair greyed and bread grew, the serious tone in his voice giving life to my father as an old man. "You act like such a child a times. I have given more to you than anyone deserves."

"Then what am I supposed to do now that I am here?" The pair of us stopped our conversation glancing to our left, the sun setting in the opposite direction and beautifully lighting a young woman not too far off. She had left some sort of party that filled the space with music, her evening dress flowing gently in the wind. I smiled, looking up on my young and beautiful mother, wishing I could simply walk over and hug her, smell her scent again. But that wasn't how it worked.

My mother looked over at us, seeming to sense our gaze and gave a gentle smile as I looked back and up at my father. He smiled but it was filled with more sadness than I expected. Had he always known what would happen to my mother? How often had he experienced it before choosing to become part of her life? I found that was a question I was always too fearful to ask.

She waved at us before returning to the party and I gave a small twiddle of my fingers in her direction before returning to the conversation. "You will learn." His response startled me as I looked up at him, his features returning back to the age he would be if time were relevant to him.

"What else is there to learn? I spend all of my time training to fight but I have no enemies to fight. I saw the battles, they defeated the evil while I just kept training." My father simply chuckle, clapping his hand on my shoulder and giving a small peck to the top of my head.

"There is more to learn than violence, Nakia, there is always more to learn." At that he stood and walked towards the party, his age decreasing with each step till he matched that of my mothers. I sighed, watching as he disappeared around the corner before looking back out at the nighttime desert.

My body suddenly surged away from my perch and I found myself snapping up in a white cotton bed, startling the person next to me. It was Annabeth, a book placed gently in her lap. Immediately the last image I saw of her returned to my thoughts and I felt my head pounding as I blinked, trying to put it to the side. "Nakia, you're up. How are you feeling?"

"I am fine," I explained, grabbing my head as the pain increased, "a bitch of a headache," the New Yorker accent slid in without hesitation as Annabeth chuckled and handed over a cup with a small bit of golden liquid.

"It's ambrosia, should help with your head and not taste too bad either," she smiled. I looked at it suspiciously. I knew what it was but had obviously never tried it before...though I'd seen what it had done to humans who were too curious for there own good. Slowly I let it run down my throat before tasting the surprising taste of mowz bil-laban, resulting in me finishing the drink quickly with a lick of my lips. Annabeth laughed, seeing my face as she set her book to the side, several impressive architecture buildings decorating the cover. "What did you taste?"

"Mowz bil-Laban," I explained, getting a curious look from the girl, "it's an Egyptian drink my mother used to make for me. Nothing particularly special, just blended banana and milk...but there was always something about hers that was just different." Annabeth nodded, seeming to easily understand what I meant as I swung my legs over the edge, immediately feeling my headache disappear.

"So do you mind me asking what happened? Back at the arena?" I sighed, looking toward the floor before giving a shrug of my shoulders.

"I don't know, it's never happened to me before. I mean I've shaken plenty of people's hands, but never had that come out of it." Annabeth shrugged, seemingly dropping it as I followed her outside, coming to the quick realization that I had none of my things on me and the sun had started to descend behind the trees. "How long was I out?"

"About two hours," I nodded slowly as I looked around the slightly quieter camp, watching as campers started to run in the same direction. "They're heading to dinner before capture the flag. Any premonitions?" She teased, jabbing playfully at my side, I smirked before grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face me. Annabeth blinked as I pressed my fingers evenly space along the side of her head, focusing.

My eyes closed and I dove through the time stream, the trip not taking long as I appeared on top of a rock next to Annabeth. She looked over as a mass of blue plumed campers came scurrying out of the woods, an army of red following them. _We were ambushed!_ I dove back out, stumbling back as if someone had pulled me from the future memory. "I would recommend preparing yourself for an ambush," Annabeth gave an impressed look.

"Well...certainly can't hurt. I suppose that would definitely be a surprise from Percy. He's much more of a 'head on' attacker." I nodded with a small smile as we started to walk, only for Athena to stop me. "Hold on...I wanna get you a shirt. Chiron has someone setting up a room for you in the Big House till we can get a cabin built. He decided having you bunk in one of the big threes might've been a bit too dangerous to your health."

"I dunno...they are my half brother's..." I then twisted my face as the disgusted realization and Annabeth gave a large belly laugh as she stopped by a very carefully designed cabin, telling me to wait outside as she returned with an orange camp T-shirt.

"You'll get your fair share of these, but for now you can use one of mine." I nodded, thanking her as I tugged the shirt over my head before we finally continued to the dinning area, which was simply the center of the camp that now had tables lining it with kids and food. Annabeth directed me to what I needed to do to get the food I wanted as well as the fire pit to sacrifice to my parent. I can't say I was completely pleased about that, but I did it anyway, deciding it would be better than making gods other than my father angry.

I sat next to Annabeth at a table with many children of different parents. Percy sat to her right; I to her left, there was a satyr they called Grover across from Percy and several other names I found myself not particularly hearing. It was all just a little bit more than I had expected. My whole life I spent mostly alone accept for when in lessons in which I was scolded by sisters and scorned at by the other children who'd lost their parents to the 9/11 bombings. It had created a pain that I had learned to accept and ignore...but here I found I didn't feel the same sort of pain. Instead the table was curious about me, about the new kid with the apparently surprising knowledge on their parent.

"So what is it you inherited, exactly?" A young girl asked, her hair a dazzling blonde that seemed to sit perfectly no matter what she seemed to do with it. I set down my slice of pizza, sipping at another banana blend to swallow my bite before responding.

"I have the ability to 'adjust' time around my person. Like..." I looked around the table and then at Annabeth's hip, plucking her dagger from her hip. She jumped, startled at the sudden touch as I handed it to the girl. "Throw this at me," she raised a curious and well-shaped brow as she gripped the tip of the blade, flicking her wrist. As the dagger flung the short distance across the table I pulled in a deep breath and the world slowed, the dagger barely crawling towards my face. Without exhaling I turned the point away from me and grabbed the handle, finally breathing out as my arm shifted slightly to absorb the force of the thrown dagger. The table looked at me in amazement. The breathing part of the talent was simply the best way I could keep my powers from exhausting me but had also been able to train myself to hold my breath for over two minutes.

"Can you time travel?" A younger camper asked and I gave a coy smile, looking down at my food with a shake of my head.

"Not really. I can enter different time streams but not as a solid entity...sort of like an out of body experience. And my reach is...limited," I summarized, deciding I didn't want to go into details. Before the kids could question me, though, capture the flag was announced and the camp cheered, breaking into their assigned teams designated by cabin. I figured I would be standing out but suddenly felt an arm around my shoulder as Annabeth dragged me from my place.

"Come on, Nakia, you'll be on my team," she then leaned close to my ear to whisper, the sensation of her breath sending a shiver down my spine, "and feel free to give me any 'suggestions' when the mood hits you." I smirked, following her to get fitted in some armor. It felt uncomfortable, wearing the heavy leather and bronze compared to my normal cloth or linen but it was a sensation I knew I would have to get used to. We were on the blue team, lead by Annabeth of Athena, capturing the flag from the red team, lead by Percy of Poseidon. And I was certainly curious to see how the camp fought as a unit.


	4. Capture the Flag Goes Poorly

The dividing line was a small creek in the middle of the woods and both teams took their positions, being allowed some time for strategy. I had to admit I was impressed with Annabeth's strategic abilities. "Okay," she started, drawing out a basic diagram of the grounds with a stick in the dirt, "Hermes Cabin One I want you guys to split up and advance for reconnaissance. Apollo Cabin, you'll go center with Athena Cabin covering your flanks. I want you two to be prepared for an ambush. I know it's not likely with Percy...but just trust me on this; I've got a feeling. That means that Apollo you'll be drawing their fire while Athena back steps in order to surround them." The groups nodded, following their commander's orders without question. "With that the rest of you will be stay with me as the last line of defense." The group dispersed to their positions as Annabeth led me away from the group and to the flag that was sitting atop a boulder. "Nakia, I want you to protect this flag. If someone happens to sneak around us I need you to defend it."

"How long is this supposed to last?" I asked, extending my scythe as Annabeth stretched her arms over her head with a small shrug and a smile.

"If everything goes to plan...five minutes."

A massive horn blew to signal the start and it was immediately clear that not everything was going completely as planned. Certainly the Apollo and Athena cabins were able to hold up to the mass of Hermes and Ares campers but I still had a sense that we were going to hit some trouble before their flag was dragged back to our side.

As if on cue a baseball of water smacked me in the face, drenching the front of my shirt - Annabeth's shirt to be exact. "Annabeth was always smart sticking the new kid at the back. Always has been since I beat her seven years ago." He twisted his wrist so the blade in his hand spun in circles as I eyed him suspiciously. "How about we give it a go, Nakia?" I smirked, pulling the helmet from my head as my hair came tumbling around my shoulders.

"Certainly, I was starting to get bored anyway." I gripped the staff close to the blade, dropping it as I swung the scythe like a baseball bat in his direction. Percy rolled, exploiting the slow move, as he should, by rolling towards me. I inhaled, slowing his jab at my armor so that I could bat it away, breathing out as I rolled in the direction of my follow through. Percy growled at the miss, readying himself again as he charged.

Annabeth was right about him; he was very dependent on his luck and his reputation, very head strong, to help him win. Not that it was a bad thing because he did have the appropriate skills to back him up. As well as strategy, which I was not expecting.

He dragged me away from the flag and I figured I was gaining ground on him, only to glance out of the corner of my eye as the blue flag was plucked from its position by a red teammate. When I turned back Percy was already gone and I panicked, part of me wanting to go after Percy but knowing I had to get the flag back. I took in a deep breath, slowing the world as I jogged towards the thief, grabbing it just as I exhaled. The kid was tugged down, the force pulling the flag from his hands as I looked up at the battlefield, seeing I had stopped him just before the stream. He quickly scampered away and I smirked, resting the flag on my shoulder as Percy stepped into the water with a grin. I hadn't thought much about his abilities as a son of Poseidon, control of water was clear, but I didn't realize just how strong he in fact was.

Percy lifted his hands, the water pulling away from the rocky shore and collecting into a massive tidal wave that rained around him. I had no idea how to stop it, that wasn't my area of expertise. "Percy! Back down!" Annabeth shouted as she ran up to him, but there was a different glint in his eyes. The sea foam green had disappeared and his eyes were now completely black as he threw his arms forward, slamming the wave down on me. I took in as much air as I could, watching the inevitable surge of water slowly crash down on me, tossing me through the grass as I blew bubbles from my nose. I was battered against tree roots and rocks, scratched by branches, before finally slamming against an old oak, whimpering as I coughed the water from my lungs. I was unable to register the horn for the end of the game as one of our teammates came running across the dried up river with the red team's flag.

"Nakia," Annabeth breathed, kneeling beside me as I pulled myself up with the tree, drenched from head to toe.

"Armor..." I coughed as Annabeth quickly undid the buckles on the side, the groups surrounding Percy and I, trying to figure out what happened. As the breastplate fell I took in a deep breath, giving a few more heavy coughs and spitting the water onto the ground.

"Are you okay? I don't know what happened...Percy...he's never done that to anyone…or at least any friend." I took a step, tumbling against Annabeth as she carefully wrapped her arm around my waist to keep me steady.

"It wasn't Percy. Something...something took over him. I saw it in his eyes," I remarked as I moved towards the now unconscious Percy as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Annabeth handed me off to an Apollo camper as she knelt beside him.

"What was that all about, Seaweed Brain?" She smiled at him and I found myself unable to watch as he blinked, confused.

"What do you mean? Why am I on the ground? Did we win?" The campers mumbled among each other just as Chiron came charging in, seeming to recognize that it was time to send every one to their beds. Campers dispersed, whispering about the events of that evening as Percy and I were sent to the health tent, Annabeth in tow.

"I promise I am fine," I remarked as a young girl from the Apollo cabin carefully cleaned some of my cuts, refusing my request for another sip of ambrosia.

"You can't be serious, Nakia. You were just hit with a tidal wave. I'm surprised you didn't break anything," Annabeth remarked, sitting beside a sleeping Percy. He had passed out the moment he hit the bed, sweating with a fever, though after a few minutes it seemed to be breaking. I wasn't a specialist in this sort of thing; then again even the healers didn't understand what was going on.

"Really, Annabeth, it is just a few scrapes and bruises," I stood from my place and gave a small stretch, trying to hide pained wince from my bruised back cracking. "Besides, it seems it's time for bed." I glanced at Percy with a saddened look, "He'll be alright."

"I know..." Annabeth remarked, running her fingers through his messy hair. I was envious of what they pair had, envious of the care that they showed towards one another. "But goodnight, Nakia," she added with a small smile as I nodded and made my way up to my temporary room.


	5. A Trip Home to Visit the Family

I had trained myself during sleep to travel to peaceful places during my dreams, to remain isolated from the rest of the place in time that I didn't belong. It helped keep me from over extending myself, as well as keeping my sleep short. So a few minutes before the sun would begin to rise I crept from my bed, backpack in hand and to the lake's beach, finding a comfortable spot to sit. The sand was cool as I tugged the music player from my pack, jabbing the ear buds into my ears before playing the device. It was an item my father had actually gotten me and I admitted I appreciated it immensely. Music kept me centered because unlike the rest of the world...music was timeless.

Crossing my legs I slowed my breathing, closing my eyes to focus on my core, on my beating heart and expanding lungs as I inhaled and exhaled. Slowly I drifted away from the world, zooming through time to appear on a balcony in my apartment in Manhattan. It looked down the street we lived on, not the best of views, but I still loved it. My father sat next to me, smoking a cigarette. I found the habit amusing for the man; then again I guess being immortal and all lung cancer didn't really matter. "I thought you were going to quit," I remarked as he chuckled, tapping the burnt ash over the edge.

"Yes, well moving in has me really stressed out," he responded as I glanced over my shoulder to see boxes filling the one floor space. "You enjoy your first day?"

"At certain points...yes. There were several interesting moments, though."

"Oh? Tell me." I could never tell if my father did know and was just humoring me or chose to leave that part of my life to myself. Either way I explained the situation with touching Annabeth's hand and Percy's weird moment of possession. He nodded along, rubbing the hair on his jaw in thought. "That is interesting."

"Which one?"

"The second one, the first one is simply you showing interest in someone."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" I stuttered, feeling heat on my cheeks as my father laughed.

"You're a young woman and like most young women who tend to act a certain way in front of certain people, so are you. Adding godly powers to the mix just makes the whole exchange all the more...god-like." I scowled, looking away as he ruffled the top of my hair. "Don't take it the wrong way, kido." I swatted at his had as he smirked and stabbed the butt into the metal banister before flicking it over the edge. "Anyway, the possession of water boy. You say his eyes went black during it all?"

"Baby, break time is over," the pair of us turned as I watched my mother step out onto the balcony. As always she was beautiful with a small bump barely visible under her t-shirt. She stepped up to Chronus and gave him a gentle kiss on his bare cheek as he smiled, pulling her chin to kiss her lips. The moment was sweet, watching my mother fall into his arms as he whispered something in her ear to make her giggle. I looked down towards the banister, tears rushing to my eyes suddenly. I never had much time to get to know my mother; all there was were these moments in the past that I could only watch from a distance.

"I'll be right there, leave me the light ones," she rolled her eyes muttering Arabic over her shoulder as she entered the apartment. "Well keep an eye out, that's certainly something to keep in the back of your mind," he remarked, adjusting his shirt as he started to head towards the apartment.

"Papa," I called, stopping him as he looked at me over his shoulder, "did...did you know about her dying?" I swallowed, wishing I hadn't asked as he sighed and turned to face me.

"Yes."

"And you still chose her?" My father smiled, stepping up to give a peck on the top of my head.

"I did, I always chose her." At that he left the balcony and I heard an eruption of laughter from my mother, making me smile.

_Morning_, the word startled me as I glanced around the empty space. _M-o-r-n-i-n-g_, the word was louder and dragged out as my eyes opened to the lake in front of me and I plucked the ear bud from my ear. Jazz poured from the miniature speakers as I turned to see Annabeth casually sitting next to me, skimming through the music on my device. I blinked, pursing my lips as I snatched it from her fingers. "Sorry...was just curious at what you were listening to. You have an intense amount of music; I didn't even know these things held that much. Do you seriously listen to all of this?"

"Yes," I remarked, turning it off and tucking it back into my backpack. "But I've been interested in a lot of jazz recently, it's calming. Helps my meditation."

"Ah, well that makes sense why you were so out of it. How long have you been out here?" The sun was just above the trees now as I shrugged, standing to my feet.

"Just before the sunrise," Annabeth gave me a surprised look before chuckling.

"You know...I never thought I would meet someone that was_ more_ of a workaholic than I was. You have to learn to relax a bit, you're at camp. Sure...it's a camp to prepare demi-gods to defend the world from evil beings, but it's still a camp." I gave a slow nod and a smirk.

"I guess I'm not used to it all. Summer camp never really happened for me. All activities were done in a serious and professional manner where I grew up, so it'll take some time."

"That's certainly alright."

Annabeth and I left the lake, making our way into the center of camp for some breakfast and I was relieved to find they had far more than grey and disgusting oatmeal to eat. "So how's Percy?" I asked, noting the empty seat beside her. Annabeth gave a small shrug only for her shoulders to slump as she returned her piece of toast to the plate.

"He's okay, woke up in the middle of the night and was able to make it back to his cabin." I bit my lip, my thoughts wandering to what my father had said as I rested my hand on her hand in her lap. She tensed but slowly relaxed as I gave a small smile.

"He'll be alright. A simple fever won't down a titan killer. He just needs some rest." Annabeth turned her hand over, giving mine a squeeze and sending butterflies to my stomach as she nodded, looking up at me with a much happier smile.

"You're right. Thank you. I don't think many people understand what it's like having to keep track of a danger and injury prone..." she swallowed, looking away from me, "...boyfriend." An awkward air settled between us as I pulled my hand back, returning to breakfast in silence for a few moments.

"So how often do you speak to your father?" I gave a small shrug, finishing off my drink and wiping the milk from my upper lip.

"Every other day or so," she looked at me surprised.

"How?"

"Well...my subconscious can time travel. All I have to do is go somewhere where he's supposed to be and I tend to find him. We don't always talk...because sometimes we can't."

"Why?" We stepped away from the table as I nervously rubbed the back of my neck.

"My father is always in my mother's past. Sometimes it's before they met and sometimes it's during. I suppose visiting those times is the closest I get to having a family...and to seeing her again. When my mother died I was too young to really know who she was as a person. I got to see the type of woman my father brought out of her, got to watch her cook again...hear her laugh." I coughed, feeling my voice quiver as tears glazed over my eyes.

"That's...terribly sad."

"What do you mean?" I answered with a little more anger than I meant.

"You're forced to live through your mother's past...where you weren't even a part of the picture. She can't see you and yet you're right in front of her. You're amazingly strong to be able to tolerate that," she smiled as I bowed my head. Sometimes I could...sometimes I couldn't. Sometimes the pain in my chest was too much, the anger towards my father kept me from being civilized and in the end I sometimes wished I never even had these gifts.


	6. Here Kitty, Kitty

"Well anyway," Annabeth smiled, grabbing my shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I want you to meet someone, see if we can't get you some more specialized armor for you." I nodded and was continued to a metal station, sparks and hammering coming from inside. I shielded my eyes from one of the kids wielding, as Annabeth patted him on the back. He looked up, curly hair springing out from the sides of the tinted goggles. He dropped them around his neck, smiling with perfect circles around his amber eyes.

"You the new camper, aren't you? Daughter of Chronus?" Apparently word traveled fast.

"Alecks, this is Nakia. Nakia, this is our expert blacksmith, Alecks." He didn't look more than thirteen but from the projects he had scattered about his tabletop I couldn't help but be impressed. "We were looking to get her some armor. Something light."

"Light? What do you plan on fighting with?" I pulled out my pocket watch and extended it into the scythe. Instantly his eyes lip up as he reached out to pluck it from my hands. I let him but the moment it lifted from my fingers it snapped back into a pocket watch, amazing him only more. "I see! Fascinating! You'll probably want something flexible as well. Okay, I have a few skills I wanted to test out, lemme get your measurements. I'll...uh..." his quick talking instantly slowed as he nervous gestured at my torso, "need you to take that off." He gestured at the CHB tank top - had been t-shirt - that had been waiting on my bed last night.

Without skipping a beat I tugged the shirt from my torso and Alecks gave a whistle I don't think he expected to make. I raised a brow as he blushed and set about measuring the necessities, my glance moving sideways to catch Annabeth glancing over my frame. Instantly my body sparked to life and I clenched my fists, time slowing as I turned to watch Annabeth slowly turn away. The flickering of flames exposed the blush on her cheeks as she bit her lip and I wished I could've been able to read her mind as I exhaled and turned back to Alecks. "Okay...you can...um...put your shirt back on." I slipped it over my head as he settled back down at his table. "I can get that to you in a couple days or a week." We thanked him and headed out as Annabeth took in a few deep breaths of fresh air.

"So not that I've been staring or whatever...but you're extremely fit," she remarked as I looked down at my stomach. "I mean we've got a lot of strong people here, I've even got a bit of definition. But what you have...I mean...wow." I blushed, looking away with a small shrug.

"Training was all I had that took me away from the fact that I was just another orphan in New York. It was easy to focus on and push out all other thoughts." Annabeth nodded, seeming to understand as we came around to a very large set of stables with a number of mythological creatures filling each pen.

"You like animals?" She asked as I shrugged.

"I guess, never was allowed pets at the orphanage, no matter how many pigeons the other kids tried to take home." We laughed and Annabeth led me into the enclosed area just as a massive roar shook the ground below us.

"Look out!" A camper screamed, running past us as I gripped Annabeth's hand, my body surging a few seconds into the future as my eyes fell upon a massive golden lion. I let go just in time to watch it come around the corner, campers preparing themselves to take down the mythical monster. Annabeth grabbed at my shoulder, trying to pull me back as the beast turned towards me. But rather than feeling scared I smiled and reached up, my hand running along the top of it's muzzle and then the back of its ear. Instantly the creature started to purr, flopping onto its belly as it nuzzle me hard enough to knock me over. I laughed, it's rough tongue running along my arm, instantly making it red but not breaking the skin. The campers and Annabeth stood in awe as the beast turned into practically a kitten.

"How in the hell did she do that?" One of them asked as I looked back at them and raised a brow.

"Can't you understand him? He just wants to stretch out a bit and get some fresh air." More confused looks as I gave a slow nod. "I'm gonna take that as a no..."

"You..." Annabeth smirked, squatting down next to me, "are amazing." I gave a nervous smile, reaching over and taking her hand, resting it on the top of the golden mane.

"Go on," I whispered, looking up as the pair of us noticed our close faces, my breath caught and for once I felt the world slow without planning to.

"Annabeth!" A voice shouted, as we jumped and the lion snapped to his feet, giving a deep growl as Percy approached, sword ready.

"Percy, calm down, it's okay!" Annabeth tried to remark but the lion didn't back down as I stepped up to the lion and grabbed a handful of it's mane to slow it.

"Stand down, Nemaeus. Percy, put your sword down. You're marked as a threat," I commanded as Percy growled - hardly as menacing as Nemaeus's, but I could sense the annoyance in it. The lion took a step forward as I tried to pull back, feeling a roar crawling up his throat only for Annabeth to stepped between the pair, touching Percy's sword.

"Please, it's okay," she pleaded, cupping his face as he looked at the lion over her shoulder and then at me before finally sheathing his sword, though the pair of them still remained tense for several more seconds before I let go of the lion.

"How are you feeling?" Annabeth asked, trying earnestly to change the subject but I could sense there was a new tension between Percy and I.

"Better...and you, Nakia?" He asked as I glanced at a scratch along my forearm and shrugged.

"I'm fine."

"Yes, well sorry for...whatever I did. Come on Annabeth, we have campers to train." The girl paused, looking back at me with an apologetic smile.

"Of course, I forgot. Here, Nakia," she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to me, "Here's a list of activities I thought you might enjoy. You can include riding if you and Nemaeus are up for it. This evening, also, is the summer solstice. We're going to have a big party by the lake...I would love you to come." At that she waved and disappeared with Percy.

Nemaeus gave an annoyed growl and I scoffed, rolling my eyes as the lion echoed the multiple curses I wanted to say out loud. "You're telling me, big boy. Come on, let's get those legs stretched," I sighed as the lion seemed to turn almost kitten-like again in his personality.

COMMENTS: Whoopsies, sorry about the delay. Got distracted with work/playing Tomb Raider but I shall get back on track now. My apologies!


	7. Party of Our Own

I had to admit...the rest of the day was kind of fun. For once I was starting to feel like I belonged, I felt like I was opening up a bit and even discovered that I was _awful_ at archery. Which, funny enough, I liked. It was nice to not be good at everything, to have to depend on other people. It was like one big family in this place and I could only hope to become a part of it eventually.

When dusk started to arrive, though, the whole camp was a buzz with youngsters excited to be able stay up later than normal and older kids preparing for a fire-lit night. I couldn't help but hope to see some unexpected things this evening, mostly unexpected in terms of kids just being kids over demi-gods.

The Aphrodite cabin had decided they liked me, maybe because of the lack of competition or the fact that I could casually converse with them in French. I didn't really know. But they dragged me away to "give me some sparkle" or whatever they called it. Apparently kids took the chance to dress up on these, to get out of their camp clothes and look a little more presentable than being constantly caked in mud and sweat. I didn't really know what to expect but cringed the moment they pulled out an eyeliner pen. "Now, you're features are gorgeous enough I just wanna make those eyes of yours pop!" One of them squealed, carefully and masterfully lining my eyes, dashing some eye shadow along the lid and extending my already long lashes with some mascara.

I refused any sort of skirt from them - which made a few of them pout but they were quick to go in a different a more preferred direction. One of them casually pulled out a pair of peach harem pants that hugged my hips nicely but floated around my legs before tapering tight to my ankles. They gave me a cutoff white tank top with a jean jacket for later in the evening and forced me into some brown leather sandals. If anything I felt just as comfortable as I did uncomfortable. Though...I did love my hair. I'd never learned how to properly take care of the mess but they were able to make it controlled and silky like I remembered my mother's hair used to be. Either way I was practically thrown into the firelight, stumbling and feeling self-conscious as eyes drifted over my body. I tugged the jacket tight around my torso but it didn't really do much for covering my belly as I approached the fire.

The orphanage never had things like this. Christmas was the closest thing they had to this and even then that was after attending mass and so forth. If I'd every been to something like this it was whenever I time traveled...and so even then I wasn't really there. But here I could feel the excitement in the air, feel the breeze from the lake and the warmth from the fire and people could see me. I _belonged_ here.

"Nakia!" An Apollo kid called. His name was Travis, bulky and looked like a bit of a thug but he could make an arrow dance. It was impressive and I'd never seen someone smile as much as he did. I waved and he waved me over to the group that had collected on a set of logs and rocks by the fire. Nervously I shoved my hands into the pockets of the jacket, running my fingers along the pocket watch and trying my best not to hyperventilate as I entered the outside of the circle.

Travis whistled, "Damn girl. You clean up well." The group nodded and I glanced towards Annabeth, sitting next to a tired-looking Percy as he clutched her right hand. She patted the spot next to her, scooting to the side slightly with a smile. As I sat the conversation that my arrival had interrupted started again and I tried my best not to seem uninterested. But as Annabeth rested her hand on my thigh I jumped, feeling her rest against me to whisper in my ear.

"You look really nice," she breathed and I smiled, blushing and hoping I could blame the heat on my cheeks as coming from the fire. I breathed in, looking over at Annabeth as she crawled back to her upright position on the log. Her hair was down for once, the blond waves catching every beautiful flicker from the fire. She'd even chosen a dress, which I found extremely surprising to see from her and she seemed to feel somewhat uncomfortable with it. It was blue and hugged her torso rightly, the bottom filling out into pleats a pair of tied, brown oxfords on her feel and a brown leather jacket on her lap. She was gorgeous but as I started to exhale I couldn't bring myself to say it, only able to mumble out 'you too' which I still wasn't sure she could hear.

As the sun tucked its way behind the lake the camp cheered, the celebrations finally starting as the speakers started to blast out some sort of music that the Apollo cabin had picked. In my opinion, it wasn't the best music they could've picked for an occasion, far too safe, and it showed as only a handful of campers dared to dance. "What do you think of the music?" Annabeth asked me as I gave a small shrug, glancing over where several campers were recommending music, a sight I had always hated. Most people that requested songs just wanted to request them because they enjoyed listening to them...but they weren't to dance to.

"Could be better."

"You could always take over," she smirked as I gave a hard laugh.

"Sure, lemme just walk up and shove him out of the way so that I can try to do better." Annabeth rolled her eyes, standing from the spot after whispering something to Percy. I could sense the worry from her but she continued to hold a firm smile on her face.

"Come on, I'll help distract. You have your music player on you?" I gave a coy nod, standing to my feet as she took my hand and pulled me towards the DJ stand.

"Lester, show me that fighting stance you were trying out last week," Annabeth asked as I stood off awkwardly to the side, he looked at her but seemed unable to deny the challenge as he abandoned the station. I breathed in, sliding casually past him and up to the computer, plugin in my device and bringing up the list of music I was looking for. Slowly I breathed out as I hit play the speakers instantly switching to a different tempo as several campers cheered and joined the dancers in the open space, more following as the song progressed. I grinned, glancing over as Annabeth gave me a thumbs up.

I had no idea how much time had passed after that but Annabeth approached me late into the evening, resting her hand on my arm as she whispered into my ear. "You wanna take a break? I could use a walk." I was going to say no but as I looked at her face I could see she was praying I accepted. Quickly I set up a line up of music before stepping from my station to join her on the coast. "You having fun?"

"Yes...more than I expected. What about you?" Annabeth shrugged, kicking a loose pebble.

"Yes...and no...all day Percy's been off. I don't know how to explain it; he's just seemed on edge after what happened last night. And then as the afternoon progressed he just more and more tired and I practically had to drag him to the campfire. All of a sudden though he just sort of...woke up and just started being a complete ass." Annabeth sighed, sitting down on a boulder just out of view of the campfire. I sat myself down next to her, unsure what to say about it as she shook her head, holding it in her hands. "Something about him changed after the battle with Kronos. I don't know what...he's just not Percy anymore." I bit on my lip, placing a hand on her knee and giving it a gentle squeeze.

She lowered her hands, giving me a small smile before quickly wiping at the corners of her eyes, resting her hand over mine. "You know...this might sound a little sad but it's been a while since I've found myself trusting someone so quickly. I don't know what it is, I just feel like you can understand."

"It's not weird," I chuckled, "I mean...you're the first real friend I've had." I found myself spreading my fingers and twisting my hand so Annabeth's fingers fell between mine.

"Sounds like the past few days have been a lot of firsts for you." She then leaned her head to the side to rest on my shoulder and I tried to hide my excited smile as she sighed. "What's it like, having all of time at your finger tips?"

"Actually..." I started; I took in a deep breath, feeling my mother's boldness seep under my skin, "I find there's nothing more like living in the moment." My free hand reached for her chin, pulling it up as she looked at me with a confused expression before I pressed my lips against hers.

I melted against her as she melted against me, my hand dropping to her waist. This...was another first of mine. Not it being a girl, just it being a generic kiss. Annabeth sat up and we turned, slowly falling into comfortable position as she threaded her free hand through my hair. Our other hands remained interlaced as I felt the world fall away. This...this was right, it had to be. A feeling like this couldn't be produced by just anyone; this couldn't be a normal thing.

We pulled back, faces red, lips plump, and panting as I bit back on my smile. Annabeth turned away in disbelief but looked back at me with a small smile. "I...that...that happened." I turned forward, giving a small nod.

"It did."

"So...what now?" I swallowed realizing I had no idea what to do after this. Should we just return to the celebrations as if nothing had happened? Would this happen again? I don't think either of us knew the answer to that.


	8. Fighting Shadows

_Annabeth...how could you_, the voice sent a shiver up my spine as we turned to find Percy, eyes black with black smoke oozing form his skin. His shadow looked life-like as it multiplied by four and peeled away from the ground. The pair of us jumped from the rock as Annabeth stepped forward.

"Percy! It's...it's not what it looks like!" She pleaded as I grabbed at her shoulder to hold her back.

"Annabeth, that's not Percy." Suddenly a scream came from the campfire as campers were flung and speakers were knocked over.

_You did this. This is your fault for bringing this darkness_, the voice was not Percy's as I exposed my scythe, Percy's body cackling and making my hand tremble as the shadows became more solid, each pulling out the bronze sword as Percy did.

"Whoever you are, leave Percy at once!" I commanded as he simply smirked.

_I can't leave what's part of me_, he remarked as I stepped between him and Annabeth, telling her to go help the rest of the camp as he growled. _No! She's mine! You will not have her!_ The five figures charged me as a swung a wide circle with my scythe. It slid easily through the shadows, Percy being able to back step and avoid it just in time. But in seconds the shadows reformed and they continued to step towards me as I felt an unnatural panic settle in.

As if able to sense my danger, Nemaeus dove out of the forest, grabbing two of the shadows up into his mouth before stepping beside me. Unfortunately, the multiple pieces of shadow simply grew into new figures, adding an extra three to the four that were already there. He lowered his head as I swiftly mounted his back, settling myself just behind his shoulders and gripping his mane as reins. Nemaeus roared, a spit of fire scorching a shadow in front of him, making the creature scream and melt into the ground.

"It's fire...they're weak to fire," I breathed as Percy growled at my discovery. "Annabeth!" I screamed, "Fire!" She looked over her shoulder giving a small nod and narrowly avoiding a swing from a shadow mimic of herself. The battle lasted for what felt like ever, the campers exhausted and wounded. Alecks was over extending his fire abilities but trying his best to keep the shadows at bay. The sun had just started to creep over the trees and I heard some of the shadows start to hiss as Percy stumbled as I got a good hit on his stomach. It was then something occurred to me; it wasn't the fire that was killing them...it was the light. All we had to do was wait for the sun to rise.

I jumped from Nemaeus's back, tackling Percy as the lion distracted the other shadows, and killing them when he could. "Who are you?!" I commanded, pinning his arms down with my knees as I pressed my palm to his face and closed my eyes. My body tumbled backwards, my exhaustion making my arrival in the past less graceful than normal as I rolled back into a tree, grunting. Voices startled me as I jumped up and curled around the tree to watch Annabeth storming from some part of the camp, Percy chasing after her.

"Annabeth! Come on, Annabeth! I didn't mean it..."

"You never do, do you?" She hissed, "But a big hero like you never has to worry about fessing up to his weaknesses. I swear...Kronos was the only thing we ever had in common," she scoffed, storming off and leaving water boy to himself.

"What the hell does she even think she's talking about? Goddamn know it all...she knows there's something brewing...she has to." He grumbled as I surged forward a few weeks in time stumbling into Percy's cabin as he spoke to an older man with thick black hair and sea foam green eyes.

_Percy, there's nothing going on to concern yourself with. Relax, enjoy the peace_. The image in the fountain disappeared as Percy slammed his hand on the edge, slumping onto his bed.

"Peace my ass. There's got to be something going on!" At that darkness seemed to surge from the back of the cabin and flow along the floor. He crawled up only to watch as a shadowy hand took hold of his throat.

_You shall be given your desire for chaos, _the dark figure rumbled out as smoke flowed into his mouth and nostrils, his body collapsing onto the bed as I was thrown forward a few days earlier to watch myself climbing up the stairs of the big house and introducing myself. Everything was the same except this time I saw shadowy figure lingering on Percy's shoulder.

I returned to present time gasping for air, coughing up a combination of smoke and sea water that I wasn't expecting as the last of the sun rose above the trees. All of a sudden it was as if the world was well once again, the shadows disappearing into nothing and Percy returning to his natural self, as he lay unconscious on the ground. I rolled onto my back, Nemaeus coming up and giving me a lick on my face as I gave a tired smirk and rubbed his fur, trying to catch my breath.

Annabeth came sliding to my side, looking over the dirt and blood on me. I swatted her hand away, gesturing to Percy as she looked at him, other campers coming to help, slightly unsure about the massive golden lion standing just to the side. "Percy...Percy has been given some sort of...curse," I remarked, slowly sitting up, lifting his chin to exposed dark grey finger marks that quickly disappeared as the light hit his exposed neck. The group gasped and I turned towards Annabeth, unable to say anything else. I didn't know what had happened...I didn't know what to do.

"We have to go see Rachel."

"Who's Rachel?" I asked as Annabeth walked quickly through the recuperating camp, stepping over low burning logs and discarded weapons. I grabbed my conveniently unharmed music player as we passed it.

"She's our Oracle," Annabeth responded quickly over her shoulder as I jogged up to be able to walk next to her, our trip quickly leaving the main camp and diving into the woods. The darkness set me on edge considering what happened over the course of the evening and when Annabeth stopped in front of an extremely ominous looking cave I couldn't help but give her a suspicious look.

"And she lives...here?" Annabeth stepped up and pressed a small doorbell next to a speaker that looked extremely out of place. A bell rang each time she pushed - which was up to seven before I stopped counting.

"Come on, Rach...wake up," she pleaded just as a crackle from the speaker startled the pair of us.

_Ugh, who the hell is it?_ It was a girl, probably no older than us...and certainly not the image I had had for their oracle.

"Rachel, It's Annabeth. We've had some...issues at camp. I need you to get here as quickly as possible." There was a sigh and then another groan as if the girl had checked the time.

_This really isn't the best time to talk about Percy, Anna. Are you sure we can't do this later?_

"It's not about Percy! Well...it is but not the way you think," she looked at me, begging for some sort of help as I leaned forward.

"Uh...hi. I'm Nakia...the camp was attacked last night by some sort of...spirit and used Percy's body as a vessel." There was a pause, another sigh and some shuffling.

_All right, give me five minutes; I'll be right over._

Right over? Where was she? When I glanced into the cave I saw nothing but darkness, having no idea how deep it went. "It's an entrance to the great Labyrinth," Annabeth remarked, sitting down on a nearby rock. "She lives out in the country with her parents but knows this place like the back of her hand and can travel across the country in a manner of minutes." I nodded, seemingly understanding and overall deciding to leave it at 'Greek God magic' for anything I didn't completely follow as I settled myself down next to her. It was then I realized how exhausted I was. We'd been up all day and then been fighting all nightlong and I could feel it as my muscles started to scream at me. Annabeth seemed to be feeling the same as I leaned back against a tree.

"Well...besides the whole fight for our lives part of the evening...I really enjoyed myself." Annabeth rested her head on my shoulder and I found it impossible to keep my eyes open.

"Me too," she sighed.


	9. A Heroes Secret

Seconds seemed to pass before fingers were being snapped in front of our faces. I jumped awake, rubbing at my tired eyes and smudging more of my makeup as I looked upon a petit girl in a sweatshirt and pajama pants. "Please tell me this whole 'Percy as a vessel' thing wasn't all some backwards way of telling me you're into chicks," Rachel remarked as Annabeth quickly hopped up, shaking her head.

"No...no...sorry, just been a long day," from there we explained to her what happened as Rachel nodded along before clapping her hands as we finished.

"Well that sounds like a doozy. Lemme see what the Gods have up my sleeves," she laced her fingers and stretched them forward till they gave a firm crack as she closed her eyes. In seconds a green smoke started to pour around us and I watched an illusion appear in front of me. My mother stared at me from over the counter in our old apartment's kitchen. She must've been cooking dinner because the place smelled glorious.

"Mama," I breathed, taking a step forward only to watch the same green smoke pour from her mouth.

_In the darkness of shadows our hero sleeps_

_Nine figures of hate hold keys to the five figures' keeps_

_The light will shine in times past_

_While a friend will walk her very last_

She smiled, finishing the short poem as the smoke filled the rest of the room, obscuring my vision and when it cleared I had returned to the forest, Annabeth sitting down on the rock next to me. "In the darkness of shadows our hero sleeps/Nine figures of hate hold keys to the five figures' keeps/Follow the lights with great speed/Only the brightest will succeed," she repeated as I quickly noted the different lines at the end. I considered telling her but something made me hesitate as she pushed off her knees to stand, rubbing at her tired eyes. "Any ideas?"

"Nine figures of hate?" Rachel asked as the pair of us nodded, "Follow the lights..." she mumbled, chewing on her lip in thought. "That could be Las Vegas. I mean where else is there just as much light as there is dark?" I thought about it, seeing her logic. It certainly was the best start that we had.

"We'll have to bring Percy with us," Annabeth remarked and I gave her a surprised expression.

"But what if he goes crazy every night?"

"Then...we'll just have to make sure he doesn't sit anywhere particularly dark when the sun sets. You know we have to, I don't think he has much time till...I don't know...till whatever is inside him removes what's left." She bowed her head, giving a shaky breath as I reached over and touched her shoulder, feeling her tense as my hand fell back down to my side.

We thanked Rachel as the girl wished us luck before heading back to camp to discuss the situation with Chiron. Percy was still unconscious but was not in the medical cabin. "How do you plan to get there? The labyrinth?" I could see Annabeth give a shudder at the idea and thought back to her memories of her time in there...getting at least a small understanding as to why she was hesitant about it.

"I think it's too risky and far too dark in there. We need to be out in the open, maybe take the train to at least somewhere near there." Chiron nodded as campers came by to hand us travel-ready packs.

"I was thinking," Chiron remarked, "considering your shadow situation. The 'nine figures of hate' could be nine children birthed by Nyx, the goddess of darkness, and the 'five figures' could be her other five that are the other side of the coin." I thought about it, nodding as it made sense. We would have to keep careful count of them but it could help us pick them out in the massive city.

Alecks then approached us, lugging two armfuls of armor, dropping them with a grunt in front of us. "Alright you two. I've pulled two all-nighters now so you better appreciate this." He held up one bronze plate, an owl with wings extended on the front, obviously for Annabeth as he handed it over. "I upgraded it slightly for traveling purposes. Press the eye of the owl." Annabeth did as asked and we watched in amazement as the breastplate compressed into a six inch by six inch square that she could easily fit into the front pocket of her pack. He handed her a pair of arm guards, a right wing on the right guard and left on the left one. Those didn't collapse but were easy enough to put away. "And now yours," he breathed, "I wasn't able to get it as flexible as I hoped but it'll keep you safe," he explained, pulling but the bronze plate with the head of a lion on it and handing it to me. "Your button is also the eye," he explained as I nodded, shrinking mine, the material feeling almost light enough to blow away in the wind. My arm guards extended slightly over my hands five claws extending off of it between each of my knuckles. It was certainly impressive.

Getting Percy out of bed wasn't the easiest, he was delirious and muttering things to Annabeth that I knew I shouldn't be listening to but it had to be done. Annabeth was right, if we didn't bring him along then we might lose him all together. Nemaeus stepped up, refusing to let me leave without him and providing the transportation to the train station and the city. I could only hope he resembled a car to the rest of the world over a giant golden lion.

Lowering his head I hopped on first, Percy next, and then Annabeth behind him to keep him from falling off. I could sense the goodbye was bitter sweet to Annabeth as we left, seeing the every so often flicker of excitement in her eyes then mixed with worry that we wouldn't be able to succeed.


	10. The Painful Truth

I forced Nemaeus to stay on the roads, figuring he could pass easily enough as a car if anything on these city streets. Plus, as we drove by a large glass covered skyscraper I saw our reflection as sitting in a low-riding Jaguar sports car...how appropriate. Either way we continued onwards, making it to the station and hoping the normal money we'd pooled together would be enough to get Nemaeus into the car container as well as three tickets. The lion wasn't very pleased to go into the dark space and kept trying to follow me into the station as I grumbled at him, trying to figure out how possibly one would discipline a giant lion. Several of the workers gave me odd looks in the process.

"It'll just be for a few hours. You can't come with us...they didn't make it big enough for you, buddy. But look, you'll have a whole container to yourself to stretch out in and take a nap." I rose up on the tiptoes to reach his ear, "Humor them when they strap your legs down, okay?" He gave a growl in response, several obscene words included at I chuckled and pecked him on the muzzle before making my way back into the passenger part of the train, searching for the room that we'd been assigned. The train would take us to Carson City in Nevada and then we would have to make the rest of the trip by foot - in a manner of speaking - and if everything went to plan this trip would be a quick twelve hours across the country.

Annabeth opened the door as I knocked on it, our tickets allowing us a bedroom cabin with a single twin bed in one corner and a bench of cushioned chairs in the other. It was small for three people, but it would have to do. Percy was already on the bed, staring out the window above him. I couldn't tell if he was actually looking at anything or just spacing out. If anything he looked sick, his skin much paler than it had been the first time I met him and dark circles hung under his eyes, the green of them even losing some of their color. We kept all the lights on in the room with a flashlight on the bedside table just in case if when the sunset in three hours or so, Percy wouldn't try to derail the train.

I huffed into one of the seats, rubbing the back of my aching neck as Annabeth sat down next to me, one eye still on the dark haired boy. "How are you holding up?" I asked in a low voice as she sighed, shaking her head. Both of us had gotten rid of our Camp Half Blood shirts that we'd been wearing and looked a little more normal for a group of kids on the train. Annabeth wore a light blue t-shirt and skinny jeans, good-sized holes in the knees from I'm sure years of wear and converse on her feet, the brown leather jacket sat to her side. I'd sort of just kept all the clothes the Aphrodite cabin had given me last night, figuring people could just over look the dirt stains and such.

"I don't know to be honest," she sighed as I reached over and rested my hand on her thigh, the gesture feeling comfortable to me for once. Annabeth followed by placing her over mine, looking down at the scuffed up toes of her shoes. "I guess I am like everyone else...believing Percy to be this 'God among men' that it's painful to see him like this. God that sounds so selfish to be bothered by that." Suddenly she pulled away, turning her back to me as I slouched in my spot, twisting my mouth to the side in thought.

"He was always such an idiot," she continued with a smirk, "always getting into dangerous situations and always getting hurt. But somehow he'd always pop back as good as new. So I guess I keep expecting that to happen..." she turned to look at him, his eyes finally closing as his breathing slowed as he slept. She pressed her hand to her face again, mumbling her words, "I promised myself I would never make another Luke." Luke...I remembered the name, he was some camper that was at Camp Half Blood...or used to from the sounds of it.

"Luke?" I questioned, curious as to her involvement with him. Annabeth sat up and smirked, sniffling slightly as she sat up.

"I forgot, you never had the pleasure of meeting him. Luke...he was one of the people I ran away with when I was nine. He and another girl, Thesa. We took care of ourselves for a whole year till making our way to Camp Half Blood, Luke was sixteen and I immediately idolized him. Even when...when he joined Kronos I found it hard not to take him off of a pedestal. In the end it was a major weakness of mine and I swore I would never do it again. But here I am, glorifying Percy just like I did with Luke."

"Everyone has their heroes..." I muttered, giving her a small smile, "and everyone eventually has to watch him or her fall. It's the nature of life. It's inevitable." Annabeth gave a small laugh and a nod of her head.

"Blunt as always, Nakia," I blushed and looked away, pretending to be interested in what was outside. "Hey," she called as I turned back, "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep. We can go in shifts if you want to keep an eye on him first." I nodded and instinctively leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips as she pulled back the moment our lips touched.

"Oh...sorry..."

"No...don't be. It's just...not the time," she breathed and I gave an understanding nod as Annabeth laid her head down in my lap, stretching her feet out as much as she could as she closed her eyes.

Those empty moments in the train were odd, just hearing the noise in the halls and the every so often churning of wheels on the train. It was rare that I enjoyed the silence in the present time, normally I would be listening to music and/or meditating to travel to distant lands. But with Annabeth in my lap, my fingers lazily running through her blonde waves, I found I didn't have any desire to leave that moment.

Sadly, that moment was soon ruined as the sun drifted below the horizon and Percy began to stir. I tensed, looking down at Annabeth as she slept soundly and carefully lifted her head so that I would be able to slide out without disturbing her. But when I looked up Percy was sitting upright, eyes black as my heart felt like it was going to slam out of my chest. "Percy," I breathed carefully, "Percy I know you're in there. Annabeth told me how strong you are. You have to fight this."

_You will get away from her,_ he growled, his voice filled with echoes of others that I couldn't pin point as I raised my hands to show I was unarmed. Slowly I tried to inch my way to the flashlight sitting only a few inches from my reach.

"We're trying to help you Percy," I begged, fingertips resting on the edge of the table as I breathed in, slowing time to snatch the torch from the surface and flick it on before Percy - or whatever it was that had him - could stop me.

I aimed it straight at his face and he hissed, raising a hand that started to sizzle. _You fool! You cannot take what was already there. All of the darkness inside of him...it was easy to slip inside without anyone the wiser_. His attention turned to Annabeth as she shifted in her sleep, turning over so her back faced us. I took the moment to tackle him, pressing my hand firmly against his face again, hoping it would result the same way as it had last night as I was thrown into the past. My body was flung against a cabin wall outside, firelight dim in the distance as Percy pressed against Annabeth, pinning her body against the cabin as they kissed. I found it difficult to swallow as I watched, noting the familiar dark shadow around him.

"Shall we take this a little deeper into the woods?" Percy breathed and my breath caught as Annabeth suddenly pressed her hand to his chest.

"What...what are you talking about?"

"Come on, Annabeth, it's a beautiful evening."

"For the last time, Percy, no. I told you I wasn't ready. I don't know what happened but you've become increasingly pushy about it recently," she pushed him off of her as he grabbed her wrist just as she started to pull away. "Percy, let me go, you're hurting me." He sneered but let her run back into camp as he stood there for a minute before his head snapped unnaturally to stare straight at me, charging.

I pulled my hand back in time, slamming my back against one of the walls of the cabin, coughing up the familiar smoke and seawater as Annabeth jumped up to notice Percy struggling to stand, holding his head. "That's why you want her..." I panted, watching Annabeth grab the discarded flashlight and aim it back at Percy. "She was the only one you couldn't fool. She was the whole reason you even found your way to Percy and yet she was too smart to believe your farce."

"Wh-what do you mean I'm the reason for this?" Annabeth stuttered as I pushed myself up the wall, coughing out another mouthful of seawater.

"Nyx fed off of Percy's desperation to hold onto you. But we're going to stop you...we're going to get him back." I remarked, trying to convince Annabeth as Percy turned his attention to her with a gentle smile.

_Come on, Annabeth. You know it's me, don't you? How could you believe someone you've only known for a handful of days versus someone you've known for years?_ I watched as Annabeth hesitated, Percy reaching out for some sort of embrace as Annabeth suddenly whipped the flashlight across his face, knocking him out onto the bed.

She turned to me as I wiped the water from the corners of my mouth stepping up before giving me a firm slap across the face. I blinked, looking at the spot my eyes had gone due to the force of the hit, slowly turning back to look at her. "How could you keep this from me?! You knew all along why he had become this?"

"It wasn't going to help us save him..." I remarked as she shook her head, turning away for a moment before whipping back.

"What else haven't you told me? What really happened when we touched hands the first time?" She accused, poking me firmly in the chest, my eyes turning away from her.

"I...I saw your life story, except for certain instances. It...it wasn't anything I asked for."

"And why didn't you tell me!?" At that I looked up at her, the image of me holding her bloodied body flashing my mind. She seemed to see the sadness, looking away. "Oh."

"I'm sorry...it's...it's part of my responsibility not to expose everything that I see...and I guess sometimes I can't bring myself to." She nodded, stepping away from me with a small sigh.

"Well I guess it's your turn to nap, let's hope he stays out for the rest of the evening...I have a bad feeling knocking him out won't be so easy soon enough."

I moved to the part of the seat against the window, feeling the cool air that squeeze through a small crack in the window as Annabeth sat away from me, book in hand. Quietly I rested my back against the train's side, breathing out slowly as I attempted to soothe my slamming heart, focusing on my breathing and the monotonous bump in the tracks. My body slipped away as I appeared in an Egyptian oasis complete with crystal clear pond and palm trees. My father sat by the fire light, looking out towards the distant at the town lights and I assumed my mother would be walking from there soon enough. Dusk had just begun and I wished I could feel the cooling desert around me as I pulled my knees to my chest.

"You know you can't tell her," he stated as I nodded into my knees, staring into the flickering flames. "Nakia," he remarked, having me turn my head to look at him. "This is the last time we will be able to speak until you have completed your quest." I blinked, sitting up.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't be involved. This is your quest, I've done more than I should by visiting you this much." Anger boiled in my stomach though it was more of a mask for the abandonment I felt.

"You always leave when you don't want to be too involved..."

"Nakia, it's not that at all," His features changed back to that of an old man as I waved my hand at him.

"Of course it is. You did that when you realized you made a mistake by giving birth to me. And then you did it when I was seven. And now you're doing it again." I gabbed a dead palm leaf on the ground about to toss it in as my father's hand snapped out and grabbed my wrist. He pulled it so I looked at him, his features filled with sadness.

"Nakia, listen to me. Leaving your mother had nothing to do with you; it had nothing to do with her. What I see whenever I look at your mother is not her death...I see you. You are the first child that I _wanted_ not that I needed." I turned my face away, tears in my eyes. "Nakia...you were supposed to die in that fire. I gave you a second chance that shouldn't have been given. Do not waste it out of spite." I looked up at him as he plucked the palm from my hand and replaced it with an ember from the fire. I prepared myself for it to burn...but there was nothing as I pulled my hand back to look at it. "The world is very dark, Nakia, it is important that you find your source of light." At that I was suddenly hurdled back, pulling in a sharp breath as I woke up to find that Annabeth had snuck into my lap, the ember - now cooled - still rested in my palm.

COMMENTS: Posting two chapters today to make up for the silly delay. My apologies. Enjoy!


	11. Now That's Fast Food

The train ride didn't last for much longer it seemed, I can't say I had kept track during it - no pun intended. Either way it was an uneventful end and we were even able to get Percy up despite his confusion towards the bruise on the side of his head. Both Annabeth and I decided it was better just not to say. "I'm starving," he muttered as we waited outside for Nemaeus to be unloaded (I was praying the cat had behaved during the trip).

"Well we have some granola bars on us," Annabeth started to reach into her bag as he shook his head; standing up from the bench he was waiting on.

"I want some real food. Like a cheeseburger, there's gotta be a place that sell those here." I looked at Annabeth nervously, we needed to get to Las Vegas as quickly as possible but it seemed like Percy's stomach had other ideas as the daughter of Athena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well how much money do we have?" Annabeth asked as I raised a brow at her. We'd specifically picked spending the extra money on a private cabin, planning on not stopping to go out and eat. She nodded, catching my glance as I chewed on my lip in thought, looking over as Nemaeus politely humored the "I'm a car" charade. I made a note to snag him a treat at some point. But then I realized something, stepping next to Annabeth to whisper in her ear.

"If we were to find ourselves in a place with easy to grab...items...I could possibly snag a few for us." I said, using my words carefully as I found her hand running along my stomach, the sensation tickling as I squeaked and pulled back, getting some weird looks from Percy and passerby's as Annabeth burst into laughter.

"How unexpected. Alright, Percy, We can go find some place to eat."

Percy was a little more apprehensive than originally when boarding Nemaeus, but at least he sat behind Annabeth this time. The glorious part about that was that I got to have the brilliant girl rest her head on my back, feel her shift and breathe against the back of my neck as her hands wrapped tighter around my waist. I swear, if I actually were driving I probably would've directed us into a fire hydrant in the most casual way possible. Fortunately I was simply holding on as Nemaeus used his powerful nose to direct us to someplace where food could be easily nabbed.

As it seemed in every city...that place was McDonald's.

We parked Nemaeus and I told Percy to stay with him to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid. Nemaeus gave a disgruntled growl, as did Percy, though Percy's contained far less curses as I waved off the two of them and Annabeth and I walked into the restaurant. We politely waited our turn as Annabeth turned into one of those frustrating customers that rather than spending their time in line figuring out what she wanted, she waited till it was her turn. "Hmm...now what do I want?" She asked, tapping her chin as I took in a deep breath.

The world slowed around me and I quickly hopped over the counter, grabbing a large Togo bag before making my way over to the food they had lined up for the taking. Swiftly I scooped the lot into the bag as well as another bag of fries, my lungs bursting at this point as I hopped back onto the right side. I hid the bags between the counter and my feet as I exhaled, noting the bored look on the employees face as Annabeth continued to mumble over which one she wanted as I took another deep breath. I grabbed three cokes and stashed the stuff just outside the door before leaving a drachma in the cashier's pocket and leaving a peck on Annabeth's cheek. This time when I exhaled Annabeth blinked, reaching up to her cheek and giving me a playful scowl as I yawned, "I don't think I'm that hungry, actually. I'm just gonna head back to the car," I remarked, heading outside and grabbing our haul as Annabeth followed quickly after, the four of us disappearing into the woods to hide from prying eyes.

"Damn, talk about providing," Percy remarked, taking a big bite out of one of the burgers from the bag and then shoving fries in not long after. I smiled and nodded, unwrapping one and tossing it towards Nemaeus who happily swallowed it whole, just waiting for another.

"Ya, well...I was surprised with how quickly they got everything for us," Annabeth remarked, giving me a sideways smirk as I tried not to catch her eye, sure that I would blush from it.

"Guess that's why they call it fast food," I muttered as Percy nodded.

Though just as quickly as he scarfed down two burgers and about half the bag of fries did Percy scurry off to the McDonald's bathrooms. I smirked, tossing Nemaeus the rest of the food for him to scarf down before sipping at the cup. "That was well done, Nakia."

"Thanks...I left them a drachma, hopefully they can pawn it for whatever it was we took from them." Annabeth smiled and nodded before shifting closer.

"I've been thinking...about a lot of things," she remarked, reaching up to pull my chin so I faced her, "one of them being you. I guess I'm just confused that all this has suddenly happened...but I can't help how close I feel to you."

"Well...um...I mean we are sitting next to each other," I remarked sheepishly, finding it hard to keep eye contact with her in fear of my face turning a violent shade of red.

"Don't be obnoxious," she muttered, leaning closer, "you know what I mean...and...I want that feeling to stay...or...you know...for us to get closer." Her words were breathy and I found her lips trembling close to mind, the urge painful as I leaned the millimeter closer, immediately feeling the soft sensation of her beautiful lips.

My hand rested on her hip, fingers gingerly slipping under her shirt as I shivered from her fingers running along the waistband of my pants. This wasn't the place. This wasn't the time. I knew this...this was a bad idea. But it was like we couldn't stop ourselves; at least until Nemaeus shoved my back with his nose, making us fall over and look up to Percy trotting out of the restaurant. Frantically the pair of us collected ourselves, trying to hide our swollen lips and blushing cheek as quickly as possible. We shouldn't have done that but I couldn't help myself. I wanted more from her, I wanted the building sensation that she gave me when we touched, that energy that filled my every limb when we kissed. But I couldn't because there was still one person that made all of this for more complicated than I would've wanted as Percy sat back down with a content sigh. I had to force my hands between my thighs just to keep them from resting on Annabeth.

"Shall we get moving then?"

The three of us saddled up again, getting out of the capital and almost immediately hitting desert. It wasn't anything like the deserts in Egypt, the sand just didn't have the same sort of appearance plus it was littered with more trash than I cared to see. But I guess that was our culture. Either way we were making good time, aiming to hit the gambling capital before dusk in hopes of getting into the light-filled city before Percy went crazy. He already was looking exhausted, slumping against Annabeth enough that they had to switch positions in case he started to fall off. I decided it was best, my body having an odd need to get more from Annabeth to a point that it was becoming distracting. Having an extra person between us was a good idea.

It wasn't exactly that difficult to see how close we were to the city, even with the afternoon sun in the sky. If it wasn't the giant "Las Vegas" sign that gave it away, the bright colors did a plenty good job. But the closer we got the more I realized I didn't know where to go once we got into the city. All we had was a hunch in terms of going here, we could be completely wrong. Plus none of us knew the geography of the place. We might as well be walking straight into a maze.

"Can we stop and take a break?" Percy mumbled as I glanced nervously back at Annabeth, the sun starting to set behind us.

"We're almost there, Percy. Just a little bit further and then we'll see if we have time for a nap." The response seemed enough for him as he gave a lazy nod against my back. I was starting to feel bad for Annabeth. Percy had been a hero and her boyfriend. Only a few weeks ago were they doing normal teenager things (as normal as being a demi god could be) that two dating people do. But now it looked more like she was taking care of a sick child, trying to convince him that it'll just be a little longer, to give him reinforcement for doing a good job. It certainly wouldn't be anything I would want to do. Plus, she had this whole complication with me...a complication I knew shouldn't be happening but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to be with her, I wanted to be part of her life and I could only dream that she wished the same. But I suppose now wasn't the best time for that discussion as Nemaeus trotted us into the lit-up city.


	12. The Trial

Immediately we were greeted by horns and revving engines as Nemaeus snarled at drivers and looked hungrily at people walking on the street. All in all...I felt out of place. New York was one thing, New York was dark but Las Vegas...was not. Here everything seemed to be out in the light but there was this strong feeling that what hid in the shadows was more dangerous than we were ready for. And our first exposure to this was looking upon the massive casino named "The D" downtown. A shiver rolled up my spine as I looked at the immense height of it before directing Nemaeus towards it. Something about this building made me feel like we would find the necessary answers inside.

As we trotted up to the massive front doors - all filled with odd looks as teenagers exited a car that was far too expensive for them - I tried to give Nemaeus some ground rules. "I'm going to let you run around, okay? Do. Not. Eat. Anyone." He gave a bit of a whimper at that as I rolled my eyes, "But you saw the huge desert before us, yes? Have at it...it's a giant kitty litter box." He nodded quickly, giving me a rough lick on my cheek before bounding off into the city. I waited to hear some sort of shriek but even the giant golden lion had found a way to blend into this place.

We stepped into the hotel's lobby, Percy immediately falling onto a nearby couch as hotel employees began to talk in private. "Percy...we can't stay here," Annabeth remarked as I watched an employee leave the back room...two menacing horns poking from his head. Bingo. He wasn't the first Greek creature we saw and it was very clear we were in some underground home of monsters, naive humans having no idea who was dealing them in blackjack.

"I'm so tired..." he groaned as Annabeth looked up at me, pleading for something that I didn't know how to give, all in all we just needed to find these figures. Wherever the hell they were.

"Well you kids look a little lost," someone remarked and I admit I practically jumped out of my skin as I stumbled back towards Annabeth and Percy. He held a big smile and looked completely normal, I might've even called him human if I didn't notice the unnatural red aura around him. "I bet you're looking for the basement, yes?"

"The...the basement?" I asked, looking towards Annabeth as she made it clear she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Of course. You're looking for the basement. You can reach it in our elevators," he gestured across the lobby to the all of golden doors, smile still welcoming and wide as when he'd first arrived. "I promise that's where you want to be." The words made me nervous but at the moment it was the best that we had as I gave a slow nod, taking Annabeth's hand as she dragged Percy to the elevators.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Annabeth remarked as I nodded, one of the doors opening to an empty elevator as we climbed in.

"Famous last words," I breathed, watching Percy slide into the back corner as I pressed the large B button. The moment my finger brushed against it, though, I felt my body being tossed forward into a cloud of black smoke.

_Welcome Nakia Bitar_, the tone terrified me as a crowd of laughter exploded before I was hurdled back into the elevator with a gasp, getting a concerned look from Annabeth.

"What was that all about?"

"I...I don't know...but I think now is as good a time as any to get set," I remarked as Annabeth nodded, pulling her backpack down and tugging her shirt from her torso as I tried to force my gaze to the mirror walls of the elevators...scowling. I quickly did the same before pulling out my breastplate square and wrist guards. As I buckled it onto my body I found that it in no way restricted my breathing but seemed to expand and compress whenever I breathed in and out, the metal feeling elastic on my skin. I looked over at Annabeth and bit my lip. She looked like a warrior in that armor, she belonged in that armor.

The doors opened with a ding as Annabeth helped Percy up, her Yankee's cap looped through her hand as I lead the three of us into the dark room, opening the only door to an exceedingly bright room. Percy groaned as we pulled him in, his body falling limp against a wall and I thought the worst only for him to start snoring. "Well...looks like he's finally down for the count," I muttered with a small smirk, dropping my backpack next to him as Annabeth did the same, the pair of us making sure we had out weapons on hand as we turned to inspect the room. But it turned out we were being watched.

"Welcome Nakia Bitar and Annabeth Chase," it was the man from the lobby but he was no longer looked human, instead he was completely black with massive black wings as were the eight behind him with only few differences. He specifically looked like he wasn't really there, fading in and out of my vision enough to give me a headache. "I'm glad you could visit us...though it seems your friend over there isn't doing too well." He shifted his gaze to Percy as Annabeth took a defiant stance between them.

"Tell us what is happening to him!" The demon laughed, the sound echoed with screams as I cringed.

"What happens to everyone that lets the darkness take over...I'm surprised he's lasted this long," the eight joined in with him this time as I gritted my teeth.

"Fix him. This was Nyx's doing!" The tone suddenly became very serious as he swooped towards me, mouth widening into a sharp-toothed smile.

"Ah yes, the daughter of time itself. So used to having the world handed to you, hmm? Everything can be fixed by a quick trip in time, can it not?" I clenched my fists, raising my chin as he chuckled and drifted back to the group. "How about...a bit of a trade?"

"An eye for an eye," one of them remarked, her vision covered by a white cloth, making it stick out in all the blackness.

"Let us see if your morals survive, then so may your friends," another hissed as I swallowed nervously. It seemed like our only option.

"What is it?" Annabeth answered as the man from the lobby clapped his hands together in excitement.

"Lovely! Well it's just a little trial of ours that we put together. Each one donated a part meaning," he counted around him and them onto his fingers, "nine trials. If you pass them, then we'll help your friend with his little...issue." Annabeth and I looked at each other seeming to say the same thing. It would have to be done.

"We accept, on one condition. Percy remains unharmed," Annabeth negotiated as the man gave another sharp-toothed grin.

"Of course, I swear on my mother that we will not touch a single hair on the boys head." And it was then the group parted to expose a single door, the beginning of something I had a feeling I would end up regretting.

Slowly we stepped in as the door slammed behind us and I found myself reaching for Annabeth's hand...but she wasn't there. "A-Annabeth? Where did you go?" A sudden amount of panic settled into my body as I looked around the empty grey room. "This isn't funny! Where are you?!" I shouted, running to the other side of the wall as if it would disappear into another room. But it was solid. A shiver rolled down my spine as I turned to find the door I'd come from had disappeared.

_Chaos_... the word whispered in my ear as I turned to find nothing, gripping the pocket watch in my left hand tightly, ready for anything. _Discord..._it breathed again on the other side as I found myself extending my scythe and slicing at the air. _You disturbed the order_...I turned and watched as a woman stared at me inches from my face. Fear buried itself deep into my skin as my scythe clattered to the floor, returning to its pocket watch shape. _Boo_... it breathed cackling as I snapped my eyes closed like a child hiding from the monsters in her closet. But when I opened them I found the woman gone, Annabeth on the other side of the room, sitting against the wall with her knees to her chest.

She looked up and saw me, immediately snapping to her feet as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Oh thank the gods...I thought they'd split us up." I gripped her tightly, trying to ignore the images of the woman's face. Eris, goddess of chaos, strife and discord. I hated how such few words shook me so much.

All of a sudden we found ourselves standing in a bright white room and I gave a sigh of relief, stepping away from Annabeth. "Okay, that was one...only-"

"We're never gonna make it," she remarked as I looked at her, stunned.

"What are you talking about? Of course we are!"

"No! It's hopeless! We might as well just go ahead and kill ourselves!" All of a sudden she pulled the dagger from her hip, aiming it at her suddenly bare stomach.

"Annabeth no!"


	13. Her Greatest Sacrifice

But I hadn't reached her in time as the tip plunged into her stomach, blood immediately starting to pool around the wound. She looked at it and then back at me, "It's what has to be done," she breathed, ripping it from her gut and then repeating the process as her legs crumpled out from under her. Quickly I rushed to her, catching her, sobbing as she pulled the blade out to do it again. I ripped it from her grasp, tossing it across the room before having to bind her hands with one of my own.

"Annabeth! What are you doing?!" Her skin grew pale as blood bubbled from the knife wounds and I tried to cover them with my hands, applying pressure. But it only seemed to make it worse as blood dripped from her stomach onto the concrete floor.

"There was no hope for us..." she breathed, looking straight at me with a dying gaze, the blue seeming to drip away from the grey in her eyes. "This was always meant to happen," at that she gave a finally breath and I shook my head, puling her body close against my body.

"No...you're wrong. There was always hope. I saw it every moment with you...you radiate hope. You can't do this to me, Annabeth. You can't leave me like this," I dropped her to watch her head roll limply, closing my eyes as images of the moment passed through my mind. I shouldn't have been able to see this; I shouldn't have been able to see her death. Deaths were fixed. This...this couldn't be real.

As if a switch had turned the weight of Annabeth in my arms disappeared and I heard coughing to the side. Cautiously I opened my eyes, seeing my arms were empty and no blood stained the floor as I turned towards the coughing. Annabeth was bent over, hand against the wall as she vomited into a corner of the room and quickly I rushed up behind her, resting a hand on her back. "Annabeth...are you okay?" I wiped at the tears in my eyes, trying to ignore the immense relief I felt towards finding her alive and well. These were trials bent around Nyx's children, we had to come to terms with that...we had to know they weren't real before they destroyed us.

She turned and jumped, wiping at her mouth and shaking her head, "Oh shit...that was...I never want to see that again," she shook her head as if to shake the memory out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She nodded slowly, cringing at the vomit in the corner.

"Ya..."

"We can't let these get to us. They're getting in our heads. We have to stay focused," I took her shoulders to look into her gaze as she nodded.

"You're right," she rested her hand on my arm with a smile. "I'm always right next to you."

"Same here," I smiled, leaning forward and pecking her on her forehead. The gesture made my chest swell and I found the hope sweeping into my skin again. We could beat this...together.

Suddenly, a giant explosion broke our moment, destroying the side of the room as we raised our hands to protect our eyes from the debris. The opening brought us into the middle of a forest, which I knew shouldn't been there. We walked cautiously, hand in hand, towards wherever this place took us, nearing a break in the brush. But what it opened out to was something we had never wanted.

Camp Half Blood lay in ruins, cabins destroyed or on fire, campers dead and scattered about the grounds. Annabeth gasped, kneeling down as I noted Travis dead on the ground, three massive claw marks across his neck. "Annabeth..." we turned towards the voice, finding Grover on the ground, his goat legs were broken at disgusting angles and one of his horns had been ripped from his head and shoved into his stomach. "How could you leave us...?" He asked as she shook her head, tightening her grip on my hand.

"I had to, you know I had to...how did all of this happen?" Grover opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a gurgle of blood as he lazily pointed towards me before collapsing onto the ground.

"I...I don't understand. How could I have caused any of this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" A deep voice called as we turned and I immediately matched the figure to that of Luke.

"L-Luke..." Annabeth said in disbelief, "how? You died!"

"I got better, kido," he smirked, drawing a blade to point at my throat as I stepped back, my hand breaking from Annabeth's. "I came back to make sure she didn't take advantage of you like she did the rest of the camp. It was all a little convenient her timing, wasn't it? Shows up just as trouble starts to come about?"

"Don't listen to him, Annabeth. I would never do that. You have to believe me!"

"Oh please," Luke remarked, "like she'll believe you over me. Do you even know who I am?"

"I do," I breathed, my gaze shifting to Annabeth, "you're the man that broke Annabeth's heart." She looked at him as Luke gave a nervous laugh, making a gesture like I was crazy only for her to pull her dagger from her hip and stick it firmly into his chest. Luke grunted, looking at her with disbelief before the scene melted away, leaving just the two of us back in the white room.

"How many more do we have?" Annabeth asked as she sheathed her dagger, walking towards me.

"I...don't really know but we've gotta be more than half way. I think some of them are working on it together," I glanced behind us, eyes narrowing on a door. "And I'm going to guess that's the next one." Annabeth nodded firmly, taking my hand again as we stepped up to the door, opening it as I met the one thing I'd never hoped to see again.

My old room stretched out before me, drawings I did as a child tapped on the walls with a bright orange comforter stretched neatly on the surface of the small bed. I looked next to me, my stomach turning to find I was alone once again. Despite all of my time traveling...I refused to return to my life after I was born. There was just something about it that I found too difficult to deal with. Mostly because it meant reliving watching my mother's heartbreak after my father left.

I sat down on the bed, hearing it squeak and giving a small smirk, "You made jumping on the bed impossible," I muttered, running my hand along the comforter. On my bedside sat a picture of my mother and father in Egypt, one I still had somewhere in my possessions. Whether I was angry with my father or not...he brought a glow out of my mother I never got to see when she was alive.

A bottle crashed through my window, startling me as it broke on my floor, alcohol seeping into the carpet, allowing the lit towel inside to ignite the floor. I picked up my feet, memories of this moment surging into my head. I didn't want to be here. "Nakia!" I heard my mother call as I turned to watch her run down the hall towards me.

"Mama!" My voice sounded like it had when I was four. I reached out, knowing this was where my mother came to pick me up but instead she stood there, just staring at me. "Mama...help me."

"No. It's because of you that all of this has happened," slowly she stepped back from the door, "you deserve to burn." I opened my mouth in shock, watching her turn away from me to strut out of the apartment as I looked at my ignited room, terror filling my bones.

_I'm always right next to you_.

The words drifted through my mind as I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and reaching to my right. For a moment I expected just to feel burning fabric but instead met Annabeth's hand as I opened my eyes again to look upon the first room we'd been in. Percy still sat in the corner, his sleep looking a little less calm as it had when we left him. It seems that we had done it...but there was a final figure standing in the way, the white sash on her eyes unnerving me as we stepped forward.

"We beat your challenges," Annabeth said in a bit of a shaky voice, tears dried on her cheeks as I tried to focus on the final deity in front of us. "Do as we agreed." The figure gave a small chuckle that grew into a loud cackle, making me cringe and grip Annabeth's hand tighter.

"There is one final test," she remarked, pointing to Percy, "One of you must take his place." I blinked as Annabeth growled, stepping forward.

"That was not the deal! You said you could fix him!"

"Ah...but you've had someone with you that could do that since the beginning. All we did was ensure she was strong enough. Congratulations," the deity cackled again as I blinked, staring at Percy. But then I remembered the moments he had been possessed, when I had dived into his past and returned coughing up smoke. I had started to absorb some of the darkness in him. Biting my lip I let go of Annabeth's hand and knelt next to Percy.

"Nakia...you can't be serious about this! There has to be another way," I took in a deep breath, shaking my head as I looked at her over my shoulder.

"You know there isn't. This...this is why I was sent to camp, Annabeth. I have to do this," I remarked before quickly pressing my hand against his face before I had second thoughts. This would be it. No longer would I be able to live in this world. But in truth that wasn't what bothered me. After this I would no longer be able to hold Annabeth. After this she would have Percy back and I know he would do everything he could to keep her safe and keep her happy. It was all I could really hope for.


	14. Completing the Prophecy

I stepped from the vortex onto the grounds of Camp Half Blood. It was pouring and dark and the whole camp had turned their attention to the top of the hill where Percy stood, Minotaur horn in hand. Lightning struck to light up his exhausted face and the cloud of dark smoke lingering over his shoulder. Suddenly he collapsed, rolling down part of the hill as a single camper broke from the crowd. Fearlessly the blonde girl caught him, kneeling down in the grass as I appeared by her side. It was Annabeth, seven years younger, the rain pinning the hair to her head as she cupped Percy's face. "Get him some help!" She shouted over her shoulder. Even as a child she was born a leader as I knelt down beside her, reaching out to rest my hand on the one she had on his face. It drifted through and rested against Percy's face as I felt the smoke and darkness seep under my skin, shivers rolling up my spine. "Come on...the Gods put you here for a reason," Annabeth breathed to Percy as I snapped my hand back being thrown out of the memory and into another.

I tumbled into a sheep, though the creature didn't seem bothered what-so-ever as I quickly stood, searching for Percy and watching as he, Annabeth, and Grover ran from a cave...giant in tow. "Run!" Percy shouted over his shoulder, swiping at flying creatures that tried to get in their way.

"Thanks, I'll give that a try after I'm done running for my life!" Grover shouted, the Golden Fleece tucked under his arm as Percy smirked.

"Focus Seaweed brain before I kick you off this place myself," Annabeth snapped as I smirked. Feisty as ever. Quickly I ran beside Percy as his head turned to me, or more of the shadow of his head. It was like his shadow had pulled away from his body so while he continued to run his shadow stared at me with a menacing grin.

_What happens when you save him? Are you really okay with letting him steal her back?_ I tried to ignore its hissing words slamming my hand on his shoulder and practically tripping as the force of the darkness ebbed into my body. The shadow disappeared with a cackle as I let go of Percy's shoulder, only to trip over a rock, the force pitching my body over the cliffs as I surged forward in time.

I hit the ground hard, coughing and trying to get the air back in my lungs as I found my limbs feeling a little heavier than they had. When I finally looked around, though, I discovered I was in some junkyard of sorts - though knowing whom I was dealing with it was probably a magical junkyard. My gaze fell on a pair of kids in a empty space of ground, a young boy holding an older looking girl and crying. I pulled in a shaky breath, noting the blood on her clothes and how her body hung limp in his arms. "No...don't leave me..." he breathed as I looked to the side where Annabeth and Percy bowed their heads. Annabeth would every so often lift her hand and sniffle, attempting to hide the handful of tears that dripped to the dirt as Percy reached up to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. I wanted to hold her, stop her from crying but knew it was a waste of time as I gripped Percy's face with both hands, my legs feeling weak as I was slammed with the darkness. It was slowly draining me and I could feel my hold on the past slipping away.

My eyes opened to a dimly lit hallway, echoes of running footsteps bouncing off the narrow walls as Percy, Annabeth, and some massive creature went bounding past me. I followed as they turned a corner into a clearing and ducked behind a waist high stone block. "I have an idea," Percy remarked, trying to catch his breath as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a crystal whistle as Annabeth eyed it and then looked up at him. In the distance I could hear shouts of whatever they were running from as Percy nodded. Suddenly he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Annabeth's cheek and I felt my heart plummet at the soft blush appearing on her features. Regretfully I reached over and rested my hand around the one that clasped the whistle, wincing and whimpering as tears rushed to my eyes. Slowly I pulled myself to my feet, watching as Percy went off to defeat enemies at impossible odds and trying to tell myself that they deserved to be together as I stumbled into another time vortex.

The smell of sulfur burned in my nostrils, surprising me as I looked around at my first experience of the Underworld. It was terrifying but I found myself unable to appreciate all of it as I turned to Percy standing on the edge of the River of Styx. Grover stood next to him, seemingly speaking words of encouragement as Percy nodded, clenching and relaxing his hands before finally diving into the green rushing river. I pushed past my aching muscles and pounding head and followed him. Immediately I felt the burn of the river seeping into my skin. Past or not it seemed that the sensations of the Underworld were unavoidable as I drifted towards his struggling body, my fingers brushing against his. Suddenly my head filled with images of Annabeth as my mind melded with Percy's. She was the one person that could save him from this river. I took the last of the darkness before letting go, drifting in the burning liquid with a bowed head. Each memory telling me that she deserved to be with Percy.

My head popped out of the camp's lake with a gasp as I crawled up to the shore, flopping face up on the pebbles. My head turned to see Annabeth picking up stones and skipping them across the surface, a small sigh falling from her lips. "There you are!" Percy greeted as I slowly sat up, pulling myself to my feet to walk over to the two.

"Here I am," she muttered with a weak smile as Percy blinked.

"Are you alright?"

"I...I don't know. Now that Kronos has be imprisoned again it's like everything is different."

"We're at peace," Percy stated as I stepped behind him, watching Annabeth as she shook her head.

"I'm no so sure. It almost feels as if everyone is pretending it's the case."

"Don't talk like that, I didn't risk everything for you to talk like that." Annabeth rolled her eyes at that remark, stepping back as I gripped Percy's shoulder, doing my best to stand on my own two feet.

"How chivalrous. I hope Butch appreciated how you risked everything just for me."

"Annabeth...what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," she muttered as my vision faded and the world went dark.

Six...I had found six but I knew I wasn't finished. There was one more, Percy in the present day. But I couldn't see anything; it was as if my eyes refused to open. My body screamed at me, begging for it to end and I was just about ready to follow.

_Nakia_...the call, pulled my thoughts back as I looked around in the darkness.

_Nakia...please_...off in the distance a small circle of light appeared as I started to crawl towards it, the light getting larger till I found myself reaching through it.

My hand dropped from Percy's face, the dark color returning to his skin as he slowly started to wake. I did it...

Painfully I fell onto my back as Annabeth shifted to my side, collecting me in her arms. "No, Nakia. Fight it! You can fight it!" She shouted, petting my hair from my face as I attempted to smile, lifting my hand to brush against her cheek.

"'A light in times past/And a friend will walk her last,'" I quoted as Annabeth shook her head, pulling me close against her.

"No! The omen is wrong!" Percy sat up as he tried to understand what was happening as her lips rested against my ear. "You were never just a friend to me," she whispered as my eyes closed once again.

I fell into whiteness.


	15. Let's Get Back to Business

All of a sudden I felt myself drifting to some sort of floor. I looked around, still seeing nothing but white.

_Mama! Mama!_ I jumped at my own childhood voice, looking around but finding no source.

_What is it, kitten?_ My heart melted at the sound of my mother's kind voice a smile pulling on my face.

_When are we going to see papa?_ My breath caught in my throat as I awaited the expected answer. The answer that I only had to hear once from my mother simply because of how sad she looked in the response.

_Soon, baby, right after you go to your appointment._ I blinked at the response. Where was I? What world was I in where that was a possibility? I turned around only to stop as my mother appeared ten feet from me as beautiful as ever.

"Mama," I breathed as she smiled and held her arms out to me. I ran to them, embracing her tightly, smelling the shampoo in her hair that I loved and feeling the perfect tightness of her arms around me.

"Nakia...you look so beautiful," she remarked, pulling back to cup my face, "and so brave."

"I've missed you so much," I remarked as my mother nodded, always seeming to know more than I did.

"I know, baby. But you're not done yet." I blinked at her remark as she stepped back from me still with a gentle smile on her face.

"You have an appointment to keep, remember?"

"What are you talking about?!" I shouted as she started to fade into the white.

"_Wake up, Nakia. Wake up._"

I blinked but felt my eyes then slowly start to open, the white fading away to the bright morning sun and green trees. I was outside, laying out on something that was surrounded in silk curtains. Everything about it felt...real...alive. Slowly I raised my hand; the palm charred black as if I'd drawn over it with charcoal. "Nakia!" I heard the screech from a distance only for a body to suddenly fall on top of me, blonde hair covering my face and getting in my mouth as I tried to spit it out.

"Hello?" I muttered, my voice raspy and my throat sore. Slowly the girl sat up, wiping at her face as Annabeth gave me a wide smile leaning forward and pressing her lips against mine.

My breath came in sharply through my nose, hand resting on her waist as I lifted my head slightly off the pillow to deepen the kiss the moment seeming to last hours before finally pulling back. "I thought you were dead..." she admitted as I slowly sat up, wincing at my aching muscles.

"So did I. What happened? Where are we?" I asked, only to look over and find Nemaeus lying out comfortably on the sun-covered patio that surrounded a crystal clear pool.

"We're on the roof of the Plaza," she explained, pointing to the banister that over looked Las Vegas. "'Nine figures will give you the key to five figures' keep,'" she explained as I blinked, standing from the bed only to slump against Annabeth again. "After you...lost consciousness," she noted, "Nemaeus came bursting through the door with a giant security team in tow. They took us here where we've been waiting for you to wake for the past day and a half." I blinked at her in disbelief. For someone that could so easily travel through time I found myself feeling out of place for losing around 36 hours of my life.

"How...how am I alive?" I finally asked, pulling on Annabeth's shoulder till I was able to stand properly.

"Nyx did not give birth only to creatures of darkness," a man answered as I turned my attention towards him. He looked like he made the description of an angel with porcelain skin and white golden hair. His white suit only made him look brighter in the morning sun as he smiled at me, giving a low bow. "Aether. It is a pleasure to meet a young woman as strong as you. Not many have the ability to defeat their darkness within." He explained as I found my attention suddenly turning to the surrounding area.

"Where's Percy?" I asked earnestly as Annabeth looked away and Aether sighed.

"After we brought you and your friends back to our home he seemed distraught enough by some news that he returned to your camp across the country. I believe Miss Chase will be able to tell you more when we have the chance. As for right now, I recommend that you get something to eat while we discuss the issue at hand." I nodded, placing a mental bookmark to ask Annabeth about Percy before turning my focus to the buffet full of luscious foods. My belly was screaming so much at me for something to eat that I ended up dragging two plates full of food over to a nearby table.

Annabeth sat next to me with Aether and a young woman across from us. Nemaeus made enough of an effort to move slightly closer to us, his giant tail lazily tapping on my feet as we ate and the divine Gods informed us. "While you have been traveling to save your friend," Aether started to explain as the woman, who I had identified as Hemera, pulled out a tablet to show us a video. "Your camp and your city have been under continuous nightly attacks." I swallowed, watching as fellow campers fought for their lives while New York exploded into a mass of hysteria.

"How are we supposed to stop it?" I exclaimed before shoveling more food into my face.

"You must find the source," Hemera answered, putting the tablet away.

"Does Olympus know of this?

"They do but..." Aether lowered his voice; "Zeus has always been a little...frightened of Nyx's magic so they are staying out of it. And as time would have it, there are other issues the Gods must tend to first."

"Typical," Annabeth grumbled as I gave her a sideways glance. For a girl that had been so careful about respecting the Gods only moments before, she was quick to throw them back under the bus. Then again I knew she'd had quite the fair share of her experiences with the Gods of Olympus and could somewhat understand her annoyance.

"So then where is the source?" I asked as Aether tugged a picture from a folder sitting next to him. He turned it towards us and I felt my appetite immediately disappear. "I know that building...that's the orphanage I was sent to."

"And did you not sense any sort of darkness in the place?" I shrugged, sitting back in my seat, mindlessly tossing unfinished finger foods towards Nemaeus.

"No more than I expected. They were certainly plenty strict...but I never felt like it was some evil force. Except..." I trailed off, biting my lip in thought. "Except for the day that I left. I had been told that at some point in my life I would have to make my journey to Camp Half Blood to fulfill my purpose, but I didn't know what that point would be. Certainly at the age of 18 I was no longer allowed to live there so I figured I would wait till then. But the day I left I had been taken into the Mother's office. It was completely dark except for a single light on her desk that illuminated the front of my chair and the front of her desk. She sat in the shadows as she spoke, lecturing me on something or other but I found my eyes wandering. And that's when I saw it. Off in the corner where the sister kept her bench for praying rested a single book...but it didn't exactly look natural and certainly was no Bible. When I asked about it the sister shouted at me that it wasn't my business...only intriguing me more. So I waited until the sisters took us to dinner before sneaking away to get a look at it. If anything...it didn't look special, old leather bindings with yellow pages that cracked when I turned them. The words had to be Greek of some sort – with extremely old diction – but before I could read much more into it I watched as the Mother returned, turning into this massive dark beast. To keep a long story short...I was quick to grab my things and run."

The group listened to my story, both of the Gods nodding along intently as I gave the picture another uncomfortable look. I didn't really want to go back there...but if that was the source of this darkness that was now plaguing my city and my friends, then we had to stop it. "Excellent, we have arranged transportation for you two and your...precious pet," Hemera used 'precious' like it was an insult before standing from the table, "and we've polished your armor and weapons." She gestured to another table with our things and backpacks stuffed to the brim with supplies no doubt. "Might I recommend that you do not waste anymore time, daughter of Chronus?"

And we didn't. Quickly we grabbed our things and headed downstairs to find a lush and curious looking party bus in front of the hotel. Curious might not have been the right word...but it was the best I could think of considering the balls of energy that seemed to be tied to the front of it. The vehicle was broken into two pieces, one for Nemaeus, who seemed much happier to get into it than when he was getting on the train, and one for Annabeth and me. Of course the first thing I noticed inside was all of the gold trim on things as well as the purple upholstery. Could've been an ad for a line of Roman decorated party buses. But in the end it didn't really matter because it was comfortable with a small kitchen area and a bathroom. I had no idea how long it was going to take us to get back to New York, hopefully not as long as it did to get here in the first place, it was clear that we just didn't have that much time. I figured the ball of energy would probably give us the needed pep in our step as we pulled away from the hotel. No wonder that place was impossible to get into...if only the world knew the "celebrities" that lived at the top.


	16. A Different Sort of Adventure

Annabeth sat herself on one of the long couches and I couldn't help but sit next to her...though she seemed a little distant about it as she looked out the window. "Annabeth...what happened with Percy?" I asked, resting my hand on her thigh as she gave a tired sigh, looking down at her lap.

"After you saved him I think...I think he was a little upset that I refused to leave your side while we traveled to the Plaza," she started, shifting to turn towards me. "I tried to explain to him that it was just because I knew he was okay but you weren't. And for a while...he seemed okay with it. But I guess I seemed to get a little too comfortable or something for his liking while I was sitting by your bedside. He asked me what was going on and I told him I didn't understand...I...I was afraid he was going to get angry like he had before every time I had refused his 'urges.'" She made a face that looked like she'd smell something sour, "I mean for weeks that's how it had been between us because of whatever the hell it was inside of him. For weeks I felt like I had to tiptoe around him but then you came...and for once I could be comfortable again and feel safe and happy. And…and I said that to him...and then might've said something along the lines of finding the same sensation kissing you as I had when I kissed him the first time. That was...um...probably the reason he became distant. I think Aether or Hemera then told him about the problems in New York and so he insisted on leaving as quickly as he could."

The blonde sighed as I nodded slowly, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make things worse." Quickly Annabeth shook her head.

"No, no, no! That's not it at all! You..." she rested her hand on mine, "you made me realize that Percy and I only really worked when we were dealing with impossible odds and saving the world. That's no way to have any sort of relationship. With you...I feel like it's the opposite of that. _Normal_." She stressed, reaching up to cup my face as I smiled, "It's all just a little fresh still." I gave an understanding nod...though to be completely truthful I'd never been in this situation before. Annabeth was my first everything. Boys in the orphanage would try but a good majority of the time I never noticed or was too focused on my training to pursue anything.

"Well...that's good then, right?" I responded, sheepishly as Annabeth gave a small smirk and a nod, leaning close.

"Yes, I think that's good," she whispered before closing the distance between us. I couldn't tell if it was all of the excitement or the every so often bump of the bus but I was quick to push her back to the seat of the bench. Everything seemed to settle into place as she looped her arms around my neck, fingers threading through my hair as I found my body pressing down against hers.

Annabeth gave a small gasp as I pulled back, an embarrassed look pulling on her face. She looked away, rolling her lips. "I'm sorry...did I hurt you?" Annabeth cleared her throat, slowly shaking her head as her eyes drifted back to mine.

"N-no...quite the opposite actually. I just wasn't expecting it," she whispered, her normal commanding voice dissipating into that of a shy mouse as I bit on my lip. We were both new to this and I honestly had no idea what I'd done to even be able to repeat it but I suppose if there was a time to be curious...it was now.

Slowly and gingerly I lowered my head again but avoided her lips, drifting kisses down her chin and under her jaw. Annabeth wriggled under me but I felt her back arch up and I hoped it was her way of asking for more as my lips pull back so I could gently drag my teeth down the muscles in her neck. Annabeth gave an audible exhale, her hand tightening in my hair as I drifted back up to the middle of her neck and gently sucked on the sensitive skin, looking up to watch Annabeth's eyes flutter closed. After a few moments I pulled back, the skin snapping back to her neck with a newly applied red splotch before I continued to move downward. "Nakia," Annabeth choked out as I stopped and sat back up, searching for any sort of pain on her face. "I...I haven't...um..." she trailed off; her blushed cheeks turning a darker shade of red as I looked down as if it would hide my own surprised blush.

"No…it's okay, I haven't either...you know..."

"So...I don't...I mean we should wait, shouldn't we?" She whispered and a spot in the pit of my stomach fell as I pulled a gentle smile onto my face and shrugged.

"If you'd like to."

"I don't," she confessed, "but that's a thing, right? That's something people do, isn't it? They wait?" I thought about it and she certainly was right, though it was clear Annabeth struggled with her own sort of identity. To certain ends she was proud of being a demi-god, but I felt like a lot of the time she wished to be just like the rest of the 17 year old girls instead of her own person. And in the certain situation I could see she was struggling with what might've been considered the 'norm' versus what her heart wanted.

I took in a deep breath, lowering my hips against her again as she bit down on a whimper, "For some, maybe. I...I don't want to wait, though, Annabeth. I've spent my whole life living in different times, ignoring the fact that I lived in the present. But with you...right now I want to be here in this moment." Annabeth looked up at me and smiled, lifting her head so our lips collided again, our tongues darting out and the blonde was quick to show was practice could do in a certain situation. My body shuddered against hers as she pulled in a sharp breath, the bus seeming to swell with heat as I slid the jacket from my shoulders and tossed it to some random corner of the bus. Annabeth's hand slid away from my neck and moved down my side, sliding down my back and making me whimper as a sensitive shiver rolled up my spine. I returned to tending to Annabeth's neck, gently tugging at the shoulder of her t-shirt to nibble on her shoulder as her fingers curiously crawled under the cloth of my shirt. I breathed in sharply as her fingers trailed over the top of my bra, "Oh...ooh ho," I breathed, surprised at all of the new sensations I felt from someone touching me in this way.

Cautiously, Annabeth pulled her hand back out, untangling her fingers of her other hand from my hair to pull gently on the bottom of my shirt. Without skipping a beat I breathed in, slowing the world to slip out of the shirt before exhaling, seeming to surprise Annabeth for a moment before she smirked and tossed the material to the side. She sat up and I pulled at the bottom of her shirt, lifting it over her head, my legs straddled her hips and I started to roll mine rhythmically as Annabeth delicately kissed at my collar and ran her fingers down my sides. I gasped, head rolling back, hands trying to find a place to be as her fingers slid around to my back and slipped under the waistband of my pants. A whimper unexpectedly escaped from my lips as I turned my head back up to face her. Slowly I stood, pulling her up with me and kissing her delicately as I hooked my thumbs under my pants and pushed them to the floor. Annabeth bit her lip before unzipping her jeans and doing the same.

"You are beautiful," I breathed, days in the sun giving her a nice tan that left her stomach virtually white with a well-defined shorts tan. Annabeth blushed, moving up to run her fingers over my hips, sending a shiver down my spine.

"So are you," she whispered, sliding her fingers under my cotton panties as she closed the distance between us. To feel her soft skin against mine...it was enough to drive me up the wall as my hands crawled up to her back, unhooking her bra pulling it away from her torso to expose her breasts. Annabeth blushed but I could see she was trying to keep from being self-conscious as she did the same for me and I rolled my lips. We were both in uncharted territories as I stepped back to the bench, sitting down and pulling her towards me. She straddled my lap, arching herself against me as we kissed deeply and I felt the divot of her spine all the way to the perky butt under the cloth of her panties. Annabeth tensed but didn't make any move to stop me as I felt along the soft skin, giving it a gentle squeeze. She peeped between our kisses and I could feel her shift her weight slightly to press her hips into my hands more as I continued the motion.

Suddenly the soft smacking sound of a different pair of wet lips added itself to our soft noises and I stopped, my face becoming fiery hot. Part of me begged to travel forward in time, to see what I was supposed to do but I knew I shouldn't. For once I would have to figure all of this out the good ole fashioned way, just like Annabeth would.

My hands slid back up to her back as I gripped her tightly and rolled our bodies so she rested on her back again, pulling away from the kiss to sit up. I looked down at Annabeth, finding my body ache for her as I looked down at her beautiful face, blonde hair fanning around her head with her arms nervously trying to find a place to lie. Cautiously I gripped her panties and slowly pulled them from her hips as Annabeth turned her gaze upward, lifting her hips just enough to help me slide them off of her feet and tossed them to the side.

And then there she was...in all of her naked beauty. My fingers drifted along her stomach and thighs, almost in awe of the sensation of it before gently settling myself between her legs. Annabeth pulled in a sharp breath and for a moment I thought she might say something but instead she remained silent, her forearm resting on her forehead, ready to cover her eyes at any moment as I curiously ran my fingers along the inside of her thighs. She gasped but stayed still as my fingers crawled further and further upward, the heat intensifying with each inch before resting just below her core. I tried to prep myself for it, but I truly had no idea what to expect. During my time before going to Camp Half Blood I'd never...experimented before. Partially because the Nuns made it clear how much of a sin it was...and partially because I never had a reason to. I knew the majority of the anatomy from my science classes and I knew how it worked between a man and a woman during our _very_ strict sex ED classes...but I might as well prepare to jump off of a cliff into rough waters at this point.

Slowly I slid them along the top of her lips and immediately Annabeth shuddered and gasped as a slick liquid dripped from between her legs. My fingers continued to the top before sliding back down to get the same sort of reaction...only this time it included Annabeth slightly shifting her legs wider just enough for the familiar soft smack as her lips parted. I bit my lip, running my fingers between her legs to collect a mass of liquid between my fingers as Annabeth gave a soft moan, her back arching. The curious touches continued till I slowly began to add pressure, to repeat motions where Annabeth seemed to quiver and moan the most. Her clitoris was swollen and giving a few simple circles already had the virgin girl clutching at the purple fabric on the couch. The smell was simply intoxicating and I found myself licking my lips, hungry for the liquid that continued to seep from her entrance and had started to every so often drip onto the couch.

I shifted my body, lowering my head between her legs as Annabeth sat up to give me an almost horrified look as my tongue ran along the swollen nub of nerves. Instantly she gasped, another flick of my tongue sending her back to the couch. I repeated the same motions with my tongue as I had moments before with my fingers, getting even louder and more violent reactions from the girl. The final curiosity rested at her entrance as I lifted my head and gently moved a finger around the soft pink opening as Annabeth bit at the end of her finger, seemingly preparing her. Slowly and as gently as possible I pressed my finger forward. Annabeth gave whimpers and I could see her wince but she didn't tell me to stop as I felt along the very thin and fragile barrier of skin. Slowly I sat up, trying to keep from moving my hand as much as possible as I moved my body to look her in the eye, kissing her gingerly. And then I pressed down heavily on her lips as I shoved my finger the extra inch inside, snapping the membrane as Annabeth broke away to roll her head back with a small cry. Her breathing was heavy, eyes shut tight as I tensed, and worried I'd done something wrong.

"Start...start moving," she panted, fingers dug into my shoulder with one hand and into the couch with the other as I slowly and carefully began to move my finger in and out of Annabeth. Every so often she would give a squeak or a cry but with each moment that passed her body seemed to relax more, her cries shifting to moans as her body started to get accustomed to the sensations.

Eventually I tested a second finger, the process going far easier than it had the first time as she wriggled and groaned beneath me, gripping randomly at whatever she could. Her back arched, hips wiggling, breathing coming quick and hot as I gave her the every so often passionate collection of kisses. Suddenly I felt her body tighten as her mouth opened, head rolling back before she gave a loud gasp and moan, hips twitching and body convulsing around my fingers, a sudden squirt of liquid from her startling me. I stopped my hand as Annabeth lay there, trying to catch her breath as she swallowed several times. Carefully I pulled my hand back and she gave a small wince but remained quiet as I stood from my place, walking over to the kitchen, hiding the slight bit of blood that had dripped onto my hand. My face was hot as I licked my lips, still tasting her. All of that was more than I could've expected...I only wanted to do more. Though, as I looked over my shoulder I noted Annabeth still laying there her hips giving the every so often twitch and decided we could wait till next time. Yes...I liked that thought.


	17. Preparation

When I finally finished cleaning up I turned back to find Annabeth propping herself up on her elbow, looking over at me with a very satisfied smile. "Nakia...that was more than amazing," I smiled sheepishly, stepping over to the naked girl and sitting myself down on the small space on the couch.

"Glad you liked it," I twitched as her hand slid up my thigh, body quick to spark to life as I looked down at her. All of a sudden, though, the bus screamed to a halt, the breaks giving a loud hiss as the bus shook back.

"Shit," Annabeth squeaked as the pair of us dove for our scattered clothes, swapping shirts and bits of underwear till we were at least dressed as the doors opened and we stepped out. Nemaeus had already made his way out as we looked up on the bottom of the hill with a small collection of campers waiting for us. I found myself self consciously adjusting my hair as I glanced at Annabeth and the rats nest that had appeared from our little "moment" on the bus. And, almost the moment we stepped from the vehicle it disappeared into a mass of lights into the afternoon sky.

"Glad to see you are alright," Chiron remarked as I nodded slowly, "Percy told us what had happened." I found my stomach turning as I glanced towards the dark-haired boy but he simply averted his gaze.

"Well we're just glad we could get back in time," Annabeth spoke, "what is the situation?" That question led to about an hour of more questions and answers as we were led about the half destroyed camp to the multitude of healing cabins and finally the Big House where Dionysus was no where to be found. Gods...always disappearing when they could be used. Then again I can't say I would expect much from him except maybe to offer the shadows another can of pop.

"What have you found?" Chiron asked as we approached a table covered in diagrams and a massive map of the camp including the lake and forest that surrounded it. I pulled a map of the city that was sitting nearby out and spread it across the table, quickly finding the street I wanted.

"They are attacking the city as well and are centered here, at the St. Patrick's orphanage," I pointed to the point on the street where the building was represented by a yellow cross. "We should take a small team to ambush the building in order to take out the source." One of the older kids shook her head as she gestured outside.

"A small team? We don't have the resources for a small team. While you two have been off canoodling in the desert we've been attacked by an army of soldiers every single night. We're exhausted and-"

"Alice!" Annabeth snapped, balling her hands into fists, "I know this isn't easy for you but you have to understand that there isn't any other options. If we don't risk this tonight then who knows when we'll have another chance...or when we'll have enough fire power to take whatever this is down." The girl sneered at Annabeth as I rolled my lips, clearing my throat to bring their attention back to us.

"I don't think we'll need many. The grounds aren't that big and I know the quickest route to where we need to get. I would suggest five. Annabeth, Percy, Alecks, Travis, and me. No more, no less. The rest of you stay here and protect the camp." Alice looked at the map and then back at me giving a firm nod of her head before heading out without another word. "Anyone wanna say refute?" I asked, looking at my other four companions who shook their heads. Personal matters aside, there were people's lives at stake and we were the only ones that could save them.

The five of us saddled up, our armor on with flashlights in one hand and weapons in the other. Alecks looked like he was coming with nothing more than a tool belt but I know that son of Hephaestus had more than just fire abilities up his sleeve. We were going to get them as we headed into the city.

We probably looked like some of the weirdest kids in the place - and that was saying something. All of us decked in CHB orange shirts and covered in flashy bronze armor, one with a bow and quiver, another with a sword, Annabeth with a dagger and baseball cap, Alecks with respectfully a hammer, and me with my scythe. Not to mention the giant golden lion in tow. I'm sure if the city was in less chaos than its current state...we might be arrested. But instead New York was filled with a fleet of sirens, people screaming, doors slamming, guns going off...pure hysteria. I wanted to stop and help them, to save families that were being hurt but with a small squeeze on my hand by Annabeth, I knew we had to stay focused as we approached our destination.

In the daytime the orphanage probably looked as it always looked...but with the night sky hanging over it the place seemed to ooze darkness. I found my breath catching in my throat as we approached the gate, looking up at the second story windows. It wasn't the far...but as the darkness started to settle around us I found myself feeling like it was an impossible fleet. "It's gonna try and make you turn away," Annabeth remarked, flipping her flashlight on, "don't let it." The four of us nodded as we flicked on our torches and continued into the small greenery almost immediately being bombarded by the shadows of past children and any other people that might've entered this home.

"Get to the door!" I shouted as the team advanced, torches flashing one way to the other to try and keep shadows off of them as I painfully watched Nemaeus fending off what he could. "Keep it up," I called as Annabeth, Travis, Alecks, and Percy entered the building as I gave the lion a sad glance over my shoulder, "be a good boy now." Quickly I disappeared through the door, slamming it closed behind us as we looked upon pitch-black hallways. I had to ignore the pained sensation in the pit of my stomach as to what I'd just done to my fellow companion, I had to focus. "Come on."

We climbed the stairs as silence settled in, our breathing being the only sound to break it as we cautiously crept down the hall. This was where we slept, four rooms, two for girls, two for boys, split up based on age with the final door at the end being the Mother's. Only as we started to walk the first door on the right slammed open, shadowy arms stretching out and grabbing a struggling Alecks as he was tugged in, the door closing and locking behind him. The first left did the same to Travis as he yelled for us to help but he was gone before we could react. Our pace picked up but it only made the shadow's grab for Percy more sudden. "No!" Annabeth shouted, grabbing for him as she tried to keep him in the hall.

"Let go, Annabeth!" Percy shouted, "You have to let go." Annabeth gave a small sob as she pulled back, watching as Percy was whipped back into the room and the door was closed.

But almost the moment we took a step forward the same happened to Annabeth as i grabbed for her hand. My foot propped itself on the wall, trying to keep her from being taken. "Fight it, Annabeth, you have to fight it," I cried as I felt Annabeth's grip start to loosen.

"You've gotta do this on your own, Nakia. I'll be okay...I promise." I found my breath catching as the world slowed and i let her go, watching her be slowly yanked into the room as I caught flickers of what looked like Luke before I exhaled and the door slammed...leaving me completely alone.

Slowly I took the last few steps to the door, my breathing coming in shakes and gasps as i gripped the doorknob and twisted.


	18. Saving Them All

As I had only days before, I found the room completely dark except for a single light on the desk chair and front of the desk.

_Nakia_, the hiss came from the other side of the room as I aimed my flashlight towards it. But rather than exposing the other side of the small office it looked like it hit a wall of darkness. My heart felt like it was going to slam out of my chest. _Sit_, it breathed again as I swallowed, inching towards it before slowly lowering myself into the seat, adjusting my grip on my torch and scythe.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked as there was a small cackle from the other side of the desk.

_Because...in a city with such tragedy it sickens me that the darkness goes untended. It was easy to slide into the minds of people. All that had to happen was that I remind them of their past, of the darkness that lingers in it. _I heard the sound of a scooting chair and tensed, trying not to hold my breath as my heartbeat thudded in my ears. _But you,_ I could feel it shifting in the room as I looked into the darkness that surrounded me, _you just won't...DIE_. The whisper whooshed by my left ear and I jumped up, swinging my scythe in the direction of the voice but catching nothing but air. Immediately the cackling increased in volume and seemed to bounce around the room. _The child of Chronus, cheating your way through life_. All of a sudden I was slammed back into the chair, the force kicking up the front two legs as my back hit the floor. My eyes shut tight and I yelped only to feel an intense pressure sit on my shoulders. _You cannot fast forward through the darkness_.

My eyes opened to a wide smile, eyes hidden by the Mother's spectacles and I couldn't help the fear settling into my bones. It was right...I couldn't. My whole life had been filled with enough darkness to block out all of the light, the childhood of judgment...my mother dying...my father leaving. Even now I was alone, all of my friends taken from me by the darkness. But then my mind lingered on moments past...on Annabeth. She had been the first to open my eyes to the brightness in the world, to stop myself from living in the past. I thought back on our time spent together, on the moments on the bus, at camp. I remembered my mother cooking for me as a child, humming lullabies in Arabic as she stirred heavenly smelling food. Annabeth had told me that I was fortunate for being able to see my father so often...but that it was also sad that I could never hold my mother again. In the end it wasn't. I never went back in hopes that I could hold her...I went back just to remember the light she brought into the world. And now that I had Annabeth, now that she was with me in this present time...I could let my mother rest.

I closed my eyes for a moment, opening them as they glowed a strong white, "With darkness...comes light!" There was a flash and a ground-shaking roar as the creature screamed, retreating as I grabbed my scythe and swung downwards into the creatures body, slicing it in half and stopping at the surface of the desk.

The darkness cleared and almost immediately I could hear silence from the world around me...I could hear peace. But what stood in front of me was what I hoped to never see as I pulled my scythe from the Mother. Quickly I slid under her, catching the old woman as she crumbled to the floor, tears rushing to my eyes. "Non, ma mère, je suis désolé. Je ne sais pas ... j'ai dû arrêter ..." I cried in French as the nun clicked her tongue at me, reaching up to rest her hand on my cheek.

"Hush, ma enfante, I have been dead for a long time. I can now finally be with my maker. May the Gods be with you." She breathed out finally as I shakily closed her eyes.

The door to the office slammed open, Annabeth and the rest of the team behind her as they looked at me hunched over the dead woman. I pulled in a shaky breath as I looked down at her. There were times I could never stand the woman, I could never stand her strictness or her judgments, where I told her she was nothing like my mother. But in the end...she was. In the end she had protected me from this evil world till I was ready to face it on my own. I knelt there and prayed for her. Not to my father, or Zeus, or any other Greek gods. I knelt there and prayed for hers.

Moments passed before I finally stood, looking at the two halves of a book on the desk. It was the same as I had seen before but felt surprisingly lighter as Alecks torched the pages just to be sure. As we stepped out I was even greeted by the golden mane of Nemaeus, the feline practically bowling me over as he nuzzled against my body. We made our slow way back to camp, trying our best to let the city figure out its own issues as we climbed the hill to find the campers cheering at our arrivals. For a moment I thought we might be spending the rest of the evening in celebration of the victory...but it seemed the whole world was on the same page. It was time for us all to sleep.

I stepped up a dune in the middle of the Egyptian desert, settling down at the top next to my father as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "You did it, kido. I never had a doubt," I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Papa...I don't think I'll be coming back so much," I remarked as he looked down at me, giving me a knowing smile before kissing me on my forehead.

"I know, Nakia. It's what I always wanted for you." I smiled, closing my eyes as I drifted off to sleep and for the first time since I could remember...I dreamed.

The End

COMMENTS: And there we go, the end of this pair's first adventure together. I have a "sequel" in the midsts, but I haven't been working on it for a while so once I get back to it I might start posting it. Or I'll just do what I did with this story and finish it first, who knows. Enjoy!


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